Total births
53,639
Boys' name · since 1880
Forrest
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 53,639 babies named Forrest, peaking in 1994. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #407
- among boys today
- 53,639
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
53,639 babies have been named Forrest since 1880, making it today's #407 boys' name.
Forrest has 53,639 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #407 as of the latest data, more common than 97% 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.
- #407 among boys today
- 53,639 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Forrest is currently the #407 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 53,639 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #407
- among boys today
- 53,639
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Forrest vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#407
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Forrest was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
1,343 babies were named Forrest in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Forrest compares
53,639 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Forrest's all-time total is 146x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Forrest | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 53,639 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,343 | 23 | 22,252 |
Forrest's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Forrest splits its recorded history at 1953: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1883 (25 births) -- compare that against the 1994 peak of 1,343 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Forrest at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1994
Current rank
#407
Active since
1880
Forrest popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 1,343
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Forrest popularity over time - girls
1,058 total births recorded since 1887 (Forrest as girls' name)
Forrest by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Forrest's strongest decade.
6,910 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Forrest births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 416
1880s
416 births
- 1890s 713
1890s
713 births
- 1900s 900
1900s
900 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,860 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,910 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,421 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,500 births
- 1950s
1950s
4,710 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,589 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,906 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,489 births
- 1990s
1990s
6,502 births
- 2000s 1,741
2000s
1,741 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,413 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,569 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 6,910 births (13% of all-time use).
How Forrest 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 Forrest's total volume
Forrest vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Forrest by state
Where Forrest concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,190 | 7.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,661 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 2,528 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 2,098 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 1,995 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 1,869 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 1,822 | 3.4% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 1,822 | 3.4% |
California share of Forrest's total US births 7.8%
Even split
4,190 of 53,639 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Forrest appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Forrest? ▼
Forrest has been given to 53,639 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #407 as of the latest data. 1,343 babies were born in 1994, its single highest year.
When was Forrest most popular? ▼
Forrest was most popular in the 1920s decade with 6,910 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Forrest most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Forrest are California (4,190 births), Texas (3,661 births), Ohio (2,528 births).
How long has the name Forrest been used? ▼
Records for Forrest go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Forrest? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Forest, Ford, Fortunato, Fortino, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Forrest's data
- Forrest's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (6,910 total births) through the 2020s (4,569) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Forrests (4,190 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 Forrest
Nearby Names Like Forrest
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Forrest
Forest Boy
#720 17,784 births
Ford Boy
#570 11,009 births
Fortunato Boy
#12420 910 births
Fortino Boy
#7314 800 births
Forbes Boy
#12453 242 births
Compare Forrest side by side: Forrest vs Forest Forrest vs Ford Forrest vs Fortunato
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Forrest
Pablo #406
50,370 births · Peak 2006
Oakley #408
11,385 births · Peak 2022
Winston #405
32,794 births · Peak 2019
Augustus #409
21,680 births · Peak 2024
Hugo #404
37,482 births · Peak 2025
Kobe #410
22,513 births · Peak 2001
Pedro #403
94,083 births · Peak 2000
Daxton #411
14,934 births · Peak 2019
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. "Forrest: #407 Boys' Name - 53,639 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/forrest. 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 Forrest 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.