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Forest Family History

Forest Name Meaning

French: topographic name for someone who lived in or near a royal forest or a metonymic occupational name for a keeper or worker in one from Old French forest ‘forest’; or a habitational name from (La) Forest the name of several places in various parts of France. Unlike modern French forêt forest was not simply a word for extensive woodland but referred specifically to large wooded areas reserved by law for the king and his nobles to hunt in (see also English Forrest ). Compare Deforest and Laforest . English and Scottish: variant of Forrest a cognate of 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Foret, Fones, Laforest, Forrest, Forester, Forse, Fares, Deforest

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Forest family from?

You can see how Forest families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forest family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Forest families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,045 Forest families living in Quebec. This was about 68% of all the recorded Forest's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Forest families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Forest surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Forest ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cultivateur and Revenue were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Forest. 19% of Forest men worked as a Cultivateur and 10% of Forest women worked as a Revenue. Some less common occupations for Americans named Forest were Fils De Cultivateur and Cultivateur. .

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*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Cultivateur
    19%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Journalier
    6%
  • Fils De Cultivateur
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Revenue
    10%
  • Religieuse
    10%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Cultivateur
    7%
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What Forest family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 99,000 census records available for the last name Forest. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forest census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Forest

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Forest. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Forest immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Forest. For the veterans among your Forest ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Forest lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Forest life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Forest in 1942 was 37, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Forest

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