Total births
17,784
Boys' name · since 1880
Forest
Forest has 17,784 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2022 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #720
- among boys today
- 17,784
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
17,784 babies have been named Forest since 1880, making it today's #720 boys' name.
Forest has 17,784 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #720 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #720 among boys today
- 17,784 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Forest is currently the #720 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 17,784 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #720
- among boys today
- 17,784
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Forest vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#720
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Forest was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
375 babies were named Forest in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Forest compares
17,784 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Forest's all-time total is 48x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Forest | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,784 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 375 | 23 | 22,252 |
Forest's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Forest's full recorded timeline at 1953, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 18 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 375 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Forest at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2022
Current rank
#720
Active since
1880
Forest popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 375
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Forest popularity over time - girls
593 total births recorded since 1890 (Forest as girls' name)
Forest by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Forest's strongest decade.
2,562 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Forest births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 298
1880s
298 births
- 1890s 470
1890s
470 births
- 1900s 541
1900s
541 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,125 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,562 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,493 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,276 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,037 births
- 1960s 779
1960s
779 births
- 1970s 758
1970s
758 births
- 1980s 787
1980s
787 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,467 births
- 2000s 657
2000s
657 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,448 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,086 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,562 births (14% of all-time use).
How Forest compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Forest's total volume
Forest vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Forest by state
Where Forest concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,314 | 7.4% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 1,180 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 848 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 649 | 3.6% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 583 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 543 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 479 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 477 | 2.7% |
California share of Forest's total US births 7.4%
Even split
1,314 of 17,784 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Forest appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Forest? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 17,784 babies named Forest. Today it holds rank #720 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2022, with 375 births.
When was Forest most popular? ▼
Forest was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,562 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Forest most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Forest are California (1,314 births), Ohio (1,180 births), Texas (848 births).
How long has the name Forest been used? ▼
Forest has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Forest? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Forrest, Ford, Fortunato, Fortino, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Forest's data
- Forest's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (2,562 total births) through the 2020s (2,086) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Forests (1,314 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Forest
Nearby Names Like Forest
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Forest
Forrest Boy
#407 53,639 births
Ford Boy
#570 11,009 births
Fortunato Boy
#12420 910 births
Fortino Boy
#7314 800 births
Forbes Boy
#12453 242 births
Compare Forest side by side: Forest vs Forrest Forest vs Ford Forest vs Fortunato
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Forest
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Forest: #720 Boys' Name - 17,784 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/forest. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Forest draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.