Forest
Forest was given to 344 boys in 2025, #750 among boys’ names; 18,377 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 9,320 Americans named Forest and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (51% of everyone recorded); the median is 30 years old and half are between 7 and 52.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Forest by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Forest mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Forest is “a male given name: Alternative form of Forrest.” Its etymology gives the sense “forest” (forest).
French surname, from Old French forest (“forest”). Compare Laforest and Deforest. Also an English and Scottish surname, variant of Forrest and related to the above.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Forest?
#750 among boys’ names, 2025
Forest rose from #1,309 in 2015 to #750 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.07 to 0.20 per 1,000.
391 babies in 2022, the peak
Forest peaked in 2022, when 391 babies were given it (375 boys, #704 among boys’ names). The 356 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 91% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 344 | #750 | 0.20 |
| 2024 | 365 | #720 | 0.21 |
| 2023 | 350 | #746 | 0.20 |
| 2022 | 375 | #704 | 0.21 |
| 2021 | 361 | #718 | 0.21 |
| 2020 | 291 | #798 | 0.17 |
| 2019 | 243 | #905 | 0.14 |
| 2018 | 212 | #979 | 0.12 |
| 2017 | 201 | #1,008 | 0.11 |
| 2016 | 178 | #1,102 | 0.09 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 135 | #1,309 | 0.07 |
| 2014 | 132 | #1,325 | 0.07 |
| 2013 | 104 | #1,537 | 0.05 |
| 2012 | 76 | #1,897 | 0.04 |
| 2011 | 84 | #1,742 | 0.04 |
| 2010 | 83 | #1,784 | 0.04 |
| 2009 | 67 | #2,057 | 0.03 |
| 2008 | 79 | #1,844 | 0.04 |
| 2007 | 69 | #2,021 | 0.03 |
| 2006 | 47 | #2,550 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 62 | #2,012 | 0.03 |
| 2004 | 55 | #2,138 | 0.03 |
| 2003 | 69 | #1,748 | 0.03 |
| 2002 | 67 | #1,725 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 59 | #1,872 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 83 | #1,477 | 0.04 |
| 1999 | 80 | #1,447 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 110 | #1,132 | 0.06 |
| 1997 | 105 | #1,159 | 0.06 |
| 1996 | 115 | #1,058 | 0.06 |
| 1995 | 205 | #746 | 0.11 |
| 1994 | 252 | #654 | 0.13 |
| 1993 | 207 | #720 | 0.11 |
| 1992 | 165 | #815 | 0.08 |
| 1991 | 131 | #921 | 0.06 |
| 1990 | 97 | #1,080 | 0.05 |
| 1989 | 92 | #1,101 | 0.05 |
| 1988 | 82 | #1,099 | 0.04 |
| 1987 | 86 | #1,027 | 0.05 |
| 1986 | 80 | #1,045 | 0.04 |
| 1985 | 48 | #1,418 | 0.03 |
| 1984 | 70 | #1,069 | 0.04 |
| 1983 | 71 | #1,054 | 0.04 |
| 1982 | 72 | #1,077 | 0.04 |
| 1981 | 83 | #996 | 0.05 |
| 1980 | 103 | #884 | 0.06 |
| 1979 | 80 | #995 | 0.05 |
| 1978 | 68 | #1,057 | 0.04 |
| 1977 | 86 | #915 | 0.05 |
| 1976 | 81 | #931 | 0.05 |
| 1975 | 76 | #942 | 0.05 |
| 1974 | 87 | #858 | 0.06 |
| 1973 | 57 | #1,078 | 0.04 |
| 1972 | 64 | #1,009 | 0.04 |
| 1971 | 87 | #876 | 0.05 |
| 1970 | 72 | #943 | 0.04 |
| 1969 | 50 | #1,102 | 0.03 |
| 1968 | 78 | #831 | 0.04 |
| 1967 | 60 | #936 | 0.03 |
| 1966 | 74 | #846 | 0.04 |
| 1965 | 87 | #799 | 0.05 |
| 1964 | 82 | #843 | 0.04 |
| 1963 | 84 | #828 | 0.04 |
| 1962 | 88 | #810 | 0.04 |
| 1961 | 86 | #827 | 0.04 |
| 1960 | 90 | #806 | 0.04 |
| 1959 | 91 | #801 | 0.04 |
| 1958 | 112 | #711 | 0.05 |
| 1957 | 107 | #723 | 0.05 |
| 1956 | 93 | #764 | 0.04 |
| 1955 | 104 | #716 | 0.05 |
| 1954 | 103 | #714 | 0.05 |
| 1953 | 112 | #677 | 0.06 |
| 1952 | 98 | #709 | 0.05 |
| 1951 | 102 | #692 | 0.05 |
| 1950 | 115 | #647 | 0.06 |
| 1949 | 134 | #582 | 0.08 |
| 1948 | 108 | #654 | 0.06 |
| 1947 | 164 | #528 | 0.09 |
| 1946 | 100 | #643 | 0.06 |
| 1945 | 111 | #577 | 0.08 |
| 1944 | 139 | #513 | 0.10 |
| 1943 | 128 | #560 | 0.09 |
| 1942 | 127 | #545 | 0.09 |
| 1941 | 141 | #491 | 0.11 |
| 1940 | 124 | #521 | 0.11 |
| 1939 | 125 | #507 | 0.11 |
| 1938 | 110 | #555 | 0.10 |
| 1937 | 143 | #472 | 0.13 |
| 1936 | 119 | #519 | 0.11 |
| 1935 | 129 | #506 | 0.12 |
| 1934 | 137 | #491 | 0.13 |
| 1933 | 171 | #415 | 0.17 |
| 1932 | 155 | #458 | 0.15 |
| 1931 | 198 | #402 | 0.19 |
| 1930 | 206 | #409 | 0.19 |
| 1929 | 222 | #390 | 0.21 |
| 1928 | 242 | #376 | 0.22 |
| 1927 | 229 | #395 | 0.20 |
| 1926 | 235 | #382 | 0.21 |
| 1925 | 251 | #376 | 0.22 |
| 1924 | 269 | #366 | 0.24 |
| 1923 | 270 | #362 | 0.25 |
| 1922 | 299 | #341 | 0.27 |
| 1921 | 253 | #380 | 0.23 |
| 1920 | 292 | #343 | 0.27 |
| 1919 | 296 | #326 | 0.30 |
| 1918 | 316 | #320 | 0.31 |
| 1917 | 286 | #320 | 0.31 |
| 1916 | 300 | #299 | 0.34 |
| 1915 | 252 | #333 | 0.30 |
| 1914 | 228 | #299 | 0.35 |
| 1913 | 176 | #300 | 0.34 |
| 1912 | 121 | #343 | 0.28 |
| 1911 | 85 | #287 | 0.38 |
| 1910 | 65 | #304 | 0.33 |
| 1909 | 47 | #341 | 0.29 |
| 1908 | 50 | #312 | 0.32 |
| 1907 | 61 | #269 | 0.42 |
| 1906 | 58 | #260 | 0.44 |
| 1905 | 56 | #264 | 0.42 |
| 1904 | 65 | #235 | 0.51 |
| 1903 | 47 | #270 | 0.39 |
| 1902 | 59 | #238 | 0.48 |
| 1901 | 45 | #256 | 0.42 |
| 1900 | 53 | #285 | 0.35 |
| 1899 | 38 | #283 | 0.36 |
| 1898 | 62 | #223 | 0.51 |
| 1897 | 50 | #246 | 0.44 |
| 1896 | 50 | #258 | 0.42 |
| 1895 | 52 | #249 | 0.44 |
| 1894 | 32 | #310 | 0.28 |
| 1893 | 59 | #223 | 0.53 |
| 1892 | 49 | #254 | 0.40 |
| 1891 | 41 | #249 | 0.41 |
| 1890 | 37 | #285 | 0.33 |
| 1889 | 24 | #363 | 0.22 |
| 1888 | 36 | #298 | 0.30 |
| 1887 | 28 | #313 | 0.28 |
| 1886 | 44 | #257 | 0.40 |
| 1885 | 30 | #310 | 0.28 |
| 1884 | 33 | #302 | 0.29 |
| 1883 | 28 | #312 | 0.27 |
| 1882 | 27 | #335 | 0.24 |
| 1881 | 18 | #401 | 0.18 |
| 1880 | 30 | #308 | 0.27 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Forest a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 18,377 Americans recorded as Forest, 3% are girls and 97% boys. In 2025 it went to 12 girls and 344 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Forest: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Forest, and how old are they?
9,320 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 51% of the 18,377 Americans ever recorded as Forest. The median Forest alive today is 30 years old; half are between 7 and 52.
The 2020 Census counted 7,663 people named Forest (293 women and girls, 7,370 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 7,952 born in the U.S. The Census count is 4% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 470 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,290 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,100 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,860 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,170 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 3,410 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Forest born?
The states with the most babies named Forest are California, Texas and Washington, with 30% of its births recorded by state in 2025; Washington is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 43 | #647 | 0.9× |
| Texas | 24 | #986 | 0.7× |
| Washington | 20 | #370 | 1.2× |
| Colorado | 18 | #354 | 0.8× |
| Ohio | 15 | #631 | 1.5× |
| Oregon | 14 | #297 | 1.6× |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | #678 | 0.2× |
| North Carolina | 12 | #731 | 1.1× |
| Tennessee | 12 | #609 | 0.4× |
| Indiana | 10 | #640 | 1.3× |
Where Forest is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Forest is most over-represented in Kentucky: since 1910 it was given 1.9 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Forest with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 73,074 babies since 1880, Forest is the second most given (25% of them). In 2025 it was given to 356 of their 1,218 babies (29%), again the second most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Forest
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Forest and names like it
- Compare Forest and ForrestBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sForest peaked in 2022.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Forest since 1910.
- The top names of 2022The year the most babies were named Forest.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Forest alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with FMost given first.