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.
- #24,066 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 38
- born since 1920
- 1940s
- peak 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.
- #24,066 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 38 born since 1920
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Forster ranks #24,066 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 38 born since 1920, peaking in the 1940s.
- #24,066 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 38
- born since 1920
- 1940s
- peak decade
Forster's 38 recorded births place it above 46.76% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Kentucky.
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 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
1940s is the heaviest window (16 births, 42% of the file).
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% |
5 of 38 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Forster side by side: Forster vs Forrest Forster vs Forest Forster vs Ford
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Forster: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1938)
Similar record span (~27 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.