Forest
/ˈfɔɹ.ɪst/
Forest comes from the Old French forest, derived from Medieval Latin forestis meaning an open woodland. The single-T spelling distinguishes it from the more common Forrest.
As a surname turned given name, Forest identified families who lived near or managed woodland tracts. It appeared in American records by the mid-19th century.
Forest peaked at No. 223 in 1893 with just 59 births. In 2024 it ranks No. 724 with 361 births, its modern count vastly exceeding the 19th-century peak.
What the name Forest means
Actor Forest Whitaker—Academy Award winner for The Last King of Scotland—is the name’s most prominent modern bearer and uses the single-T spelling.
Two syllables—FOR-est—evoke trees and open air. The name’s sound is grounded and organic, fitting the nature-name trend without feeling invented.
Nature names are surging—River, Sage, Jasper—and Forest rides that wave with centuries of linguistic history behind it.
The single-T spelling reads as the pure English word, giving it a directness that the surname-derived Forrest does not always convey.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Forest
Forest - similar names
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