Forrest
Forrest was given to 850 boys in 2025, #374 among boys’ names; 54,697 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 30,800 Americans named Forrest and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (56% of everyone recorded); the median is 35 years old and half are between 14 and 60.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Forrest by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Forrest mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Forrest is “a male given name transferred from the surname.”
English surname, from the noun forest. Also adopted and translated from the word for “forest” in various other languages by settlers.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Forrest?
#374 among boys’ names, 2025
Forrest rose from #660 in 2015 to #374 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.20 to 0.50 per 1,000.
1,381 babies in 1994, the peak
Forrest peaked in 1994, when 1,381 babies were given it (1,343 boys, #217 among boys’ names). The 862 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 62% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 850 | #374 | 0.50 |
| 2024 | 794 | #407 | 0.46 |
| 2023 | 746 | #424 | 0.44 |
| 2022 | 794 | #403 | 0.45 |
| 2021 | 745 | #414 | 0.43 |
| 2020 | 640 | #462 | 0.37 |
| 2019 | 583 | #492 | 0.32 |
| 2018 | 484 | #570 | 0.27 |
| 2017 | 460 | #593 | 0.25 |
| 2016 | 423 | #632 | 0.22 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 391 | #660 | 0.20 |
| 2014 | 338 | #713 | 0.18 |
| 2013 | 257 | #834 | 0.14 |
| 2012 | 154 | #1,180 | 0.08 |
| 2011 | 161 | #1,126 | 0.08 |
| 2010 | 162 | #1,144 | 0.08 |
| 2009 | 166 | #1,113 | 0.08 |
| 2008 | 129 | #1,339 | 0.06 |
| 2007 | 142 | #1,238 | 0.07 |
| 2006 | 147 | #1,150 | 0.07 |
| 2005 | 151 | #1,096 | 0.08 |
| 2004 | 158 | #1,036 | 0.08 |
| 2003 | 195 | #877 | 0.10 |
| 2002 | 194 | #855 | 0.10 |
| 2001 | 207 | #808 | 0.11 |
| 2000 | 252 | #696 | 0.13 |
| 1999 | 262 | #658 | 0.14 |
| 1998 | 296 | #619 | 0.15 |
| 1997 | 370 | #538 | 0.20 |
| 1996 | 431 | #489 | 0.23 |
| 1995 | 858 | #309 | 0.45 |
| 1994 | 1,343 | #217 | 0.70 |
| 1993 | 948 | #291 | 0.48 |
| 1992 | 832 | #316 | 0.42 |
| 1991 | 620 | #371 | 0.31 |
| 1990 | 542 | #420 | 0.26 |
| 1989 | 461 | #438 | 0.23 |
| 1988 | 404 | #448 | 0.21 |
| 1987 | 377 | #457 | 0.20 |
| 1986 | 331 | #476 | 0.18 |
| 1985 | 310 | #492 | 0.17 |
| 1984 | 288 | #496 | 0.16 |
| 1983 | 313 | #474 | 0.17 |
| 1982 | 360 | #450 | 0.20 |
| 1981 | 312 | #470 | 0.17 |
| 1980 | 333 | #463 | 0.19 |
| 1979 | 316 | #462 | 0.18 |
| 1978 | 317 | #447 | 0.19 |
| 1977 | 315 | #452 | 0.19 |
| 1976 | 279 | #471 | 0.18 |
| 1975 | 277 | #480 | 0.18 |
| 1974 | 280 | #475 | 0.18 |
| 1973 | 222 | #526 | 0.14 |
| 1972 | 273 | #475 | 0.17 |
| 1971 | 316 | #457 | 0.18 |
| 1970 | 311 | #461 | 0.17 |
| 1969 | 277 | #459 | 0.15 |
| 1968 | 296 | #447 | 0.17 |
| 1967 | 302 | #436 | 0.17 |
| 1966 | 300 | #442 | 0.17 |
| 1965 | 348 | #419 | 0.19 |
| 1964 | 382 | #411 | 0.19 |
| 1963 | 403 | #402 | 0.20 |
| 1962 | 452 | #379 | 0.22 |
| 1961 | 429 | #382 | 0.20 |
| 1960 | 400 | #395 | 0.19 |
| 1959 | 436 | #379 | 0.20 |
| 1958 | 413 | #384 | 0.19 |
| 1957 | 460 | #354 | 0.21 |
| 1956 | 441 | #351 | 0.21 |
| 1955 | 504 | #329 | 0.24 |
| 1954 | 503 | #320 | 0.25 |
| 1953 | 476 | #324 | 0.24 |
| 1952 | 518 | #313 | 0.27 |
| 1951 | 501 | #312 | 0.27 |
| 1950 | 458 | #321 | 0.26 |
| 1949 | 459 | #318 | 0.26 |
| 1948 | 432 | #321 | 0.25 |
| 1947 | 513 | #305 | 0.28 |
| 1946 | 493 | #291 | 0.30 |
| 1945 | 441 | #285 | 0.33 |
| 1944 | 467 | #275 | 0.34 |
| 1943 | 450 | #288 | 0.32 |
| 1942 | 412 | #300 | 0.30 |
| 1941 | 426 | #278 | 0.35 |
| 1940 | 407 | #278 | 0.35 |
| 1939 | 414 | #269 | 0.37 |
| 1938 | 403 | #277 | 0.36 |
| 1937 | 420 | #263 | 0.39 |
| 1936 | 393 | #272 | 0.38 |
| 1935 | 422 | #264 | 0.41 |
| 1934 | 412 | #268 | 0.40 |
| 1933 | 454 | #245 | 0.46 |
| 1932 | 498 | #238 | 0.48 |
| 1931 | 473 | #244 | 0.45 |
| 1930 | 532 | #241 | 0.48 |
| 1929 | 602 | #211 | 0.56 |
| 1928 | 572 | #230 | 0.52 |
| 1927 | 610 | #219 | 0.54 |
| 1926 | 680 | #204 | 0.61 |
| 1925 | 648 | #212 | 0.58 |
| 1924 | 695 | #200 | 0.61 |
| 1923 | 758 | #186 | 0.69 |
| 1922 | 772 | #182 | 0.71 |
| 1921 | 781 | #180 | 0.71 |
| 1920 | 792 | #178 | 0.74 |
| 1919 | 686 | #185 | 0.70 |
| 1918 | 757 | #175 | 0.75 |
| 1917 | 663 | #183 | 0.72 |
| 1916 | 652 | #183 | 0.73 |
| 1915 | 643 | #176 | 0.76 |
| 1914 | 501 | #176 | 0.77 |
| 1913 | 395 | #173 | 0.77 |
| 1912 | 308 | #187 | 0.72 |
| 1911 | 152 | #198 | 0.67 |
| 1910 | 103 | #230 | 0.53 |
| 1909 | 125 | #182 | 0.76 |
| 1908 | 105 | #196 | 0.68 |
| 1907 | 115 | #187 | 0.78 |
| 1906 | 85 | #208 | 0.64 |
| 1905 | 75 | #221 | 0.57 |
| 1904 | 89 | #197 | 0.69 |
| 1903 | 76 | #204 | 0.64 |
| 1902 | 91 | #183 | 0.74 |
| 1901 | 73 | #196 | 0.69 |
| 1900 | 66 | #252 | 0.44 |
| 1899 | 83 | #175 | 0.78 |
| 1898 | 80 | #189 | 0.65 |
| 1897 | 81 | #191 | 0.72 |
| 1896 | 87 | #187 | 0.73 |
| 1895 | 88 | #181 | 0.75 |
| 1894 | 53 | #237 | 0.46 |
| 1893 | 74 | #196 | 0.66 |
| 1892 | 52 | #247 | 0.43 |
| 1891 | 59 | #205 | 0.58 |
| 1890 | 56 | #222 | 0.50 |
| 1889 | 65 | #200 | 0.59 |
| 1888 | 62 | #223 | 0.51 |
| 1887 | 34 | #282 | 0.34 |
| 1886 | 56 | #227 | 0.51 |
| 1885 | 36 | #279 | 0.33 |
| 1884 | 36 | #290 | 0.31 |
| 1883 | 25 | #333 | 0.24 |
| 1882 | 38 | #280 | 0.33 |
| 1881 | 28 | #307 | 0.28 |
| 1880 | 36 | #280 | 0.33 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Forrest a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 54,697 Americans recorded as Forrest, 2% are girls and 98% boys. In 2025 it went to 12 girls and 850 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Forrest: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Forrest, and how old are they?
30,800 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 56% of the 54,697 Americans ever recorded as Forrest. The median Forrest alive today is 35 years old; half are between 14 and 60.
The 2020 Census counted 26,456 people named Forrest (424 women and girls, 26,032 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 28,854 born in the U.S. The Census count is 8% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 1,550 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 5,770 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 4,250 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 8,510 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 3,100 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 7,570 |
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 Forrest born?
The states with the most babies named Forrest are Texas, California and North Carolina, with 19% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 57 | #563 | 1.0× |
| California | 55 | #552 | 0.9× |
| North Carolina | 44 | #279 | 1.1× |
| Florida | 38 | #481 | 0.8× |
| Tennessee | 36 | #246 | 1.1× |
| Ohio | 35 | #329 | 1.0× |
| Illinois | 32 | #338 | 0.8× |
| Washington | 31 | #246 | 1.6× |
| Virginia | 29 | #293 | 1.3× |
| Colorado | 28 | #232 | 1.3× |
Where Forrest is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Forrest is most over-represented in Oregon: since 1910 it was given 1.8 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 Forrest 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, Forrest is the most given (75% of them). In 2025 it was given to 862 of their 1,218 babies (71%), again the 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 Forrest
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 Forrest and names like it
- Compare Forrest and ForestBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1990sForrest peaked in 1994.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Forrest since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Forrest: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1994The year the most babies were named Forrest.
- The names of the MillennialsMost people named Forrest alive today were born 1981-1996.
- Names starting with FMost given first.