Total births
38
Boys' name · since 1920
Forster
Forster has 38 recorded births since 1920 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1938 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 38
- total births
- 1920–1947
- years on record
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 42%
- born in that decade
Forster sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 38 recorded since 1920.
Forster has 38 recorded births among boys since 1920, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 1947.
- 38 total births
- 1920–1947 years on record
- 1940s peak decade
- 42% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
38 boys have been named Forster since 1920, peaking in the 1940s, last recorded in 1947.
- 38
- total births
- 1920–1947
- years on record
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 42%
- born in that decade
1940s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Forster was born in this single decade.
1938
Single peak year
7 babies were named Forster in 1938 - its busiest year on record.
Forster's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Forster's full recorded timeline at 1938, 61% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 39% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1920, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1938 peak of 7 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Forster at a glance
Last recorded 1947Peak year
1938
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1920
Forster popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–1947
- Peak year (1938)
- 7
- Annual births at peak, across 28 years of records
Forster by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Forster's strongest decade.
16 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Forster births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s
1920s
10 births
- 1930s
1930s
12 births
- 1940s
1940s
16 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 16 births (42% of all-time use).
Forster by state
Where Forster concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 5 | 13.2% |
Kentucky share of Forster's total US births 13.2%
5 of 38 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Forster? ▼
Since 1920, Social Security records show 38 babies named Forster. The most recent recorded year was 1947. Its busiest year on record was 1938, with 7 births.
When was Forster most popular? ▼
Forster was most popular in the 1940s decade with 16 total births. The single peak year was 1938.
Where is Forster most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Forster are Kentucky (5 births).
How long has the name Forster been used? ▼
Records for Forster go back to 1920, giving 28 years of history through 1947.
What names are similar to Forster? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Forrest, Forest, Ford, Fortunato, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Forster's data
- Kentucky records the most Forsters (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Forster
Nearby Names Like Forster
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Forster
Forrest Boy
#407 53,639 births
Forest Boy
#720 17,784 births
Ford Boy
#570 11,009 births
Fortunato Boy
#12420 910 births
Fortino Boy
#7314 800 births
Compare Forster side by side: Forster vs Forrest Forster vs Forest Forster vs Ford
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1920–1947 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Forster: Baby Name Since 1920 - 38 Births, Peak 1938." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/forster. 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 Forster 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 July 2026.