Forrest
Forrest is a masculine given name. Notable persons with the name include:Forrest (singer) (1953–2013), born Forrest Thomas, American singer popular in the UK and Netherlands Forrest J.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Forrest
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Forrest is a masculine given name. Notable persons with the name include:Forrest (singer) (1953–2013), born Forrest Thomas, American singer popular in the UK and Netherlands Forrest J.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Forrest
Forrest first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 36 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1994, when 1,343 Forrests were born — ranking #217 that year. As of 2026, Forrest ranks #392 for baby boys with 822 births, rising sharply (+36% over the past five years). In total, more than 54K Forrests have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Forrest
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Forrest. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Forrest
Phonetically similar names — useful when Forrest is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Forrest
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About the name Forrest
Forrest is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 54K births in the dataset. Forrest's peak popularity came in 1994 when it ranked #173. Use the chart and map above to compare Forrest's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1994 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.