Forrest
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- FORR-ist
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #488 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #374 for boys
Forrest is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “forest, woodland”. In 2025 it ranked 488th for boys in the UK (88 babies) and 374th for boys in the US (850 babies).
What does Forrest mean?
English: English surname
“forest, woodland”
From an English surname for someone who lived or worked in a forest; also the hero of the 1994 film Forrest Gump.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Forrest a girl's or a boy's name?
Forrest is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 girls and 88 boys in the UK and 12 girls and 850 boys in the US.
How popular is Forrest in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 488th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 88 about 1 in 3,400 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 29% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 88 boys in the UK were named Forrest, making it the 488th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 585th. 5 girls were also named Forrest in 2025 (4,276th for girls).
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had the most boys named Forrest of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Forrest in the UK since 1996 were born between 2018 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 125 boys in the UK were given Forrest or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #381, up from #488 for this spelling alone.
- Forrest 88
- Forest 37
Among boys in 2025, it was 474th in England and Wales and 495th in Scotland.
Forrest in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 88 | #488 |
| 2024 | 84 | #521 |
| 2023 | 81 | #541 |
| 2022 | 73 | #577 |
| 2021 | 72 | #593 |
| 2020 | 70 | #585 |
| 2019 | 74 | #568 |
| 2018 | 52 | #728 |
| 2017 | 33 | #1,010 |
| 2016 | 34 | #973 |
| 2015 | 20 | #1,367 |
| 2014 | 19 | #1,406 |
| 2013 | 9 | #2,334 |
| 2012 | 9 | #2,382 |
| 2011 | 5 | #3,446 |
| 2010 | 9 | #2,306 |
| 2009 | 4 | #3,909 |
| 2008 | 8 | #2,384 |
| 2007 | 9 | #2,139 |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 3 | #3,792 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 4 | #2,751 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 3 | #3,146 |
| 1999 | 9 | #1,451 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 5 | #2,109 |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
How popular is Forrest in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 374th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 850 about 1 in 2,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 40% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 850 boys in the US were named Forrest, making it the 374th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 462nd. Its busiest year was 1994, with 1,343 boys. 12 girls were also named Forrest in 2025 (8,360th for girls).
2025 had more boys named Forrest than any year since 1995.
Half of all the boys named Forrest in the US since 1880 were born between 1929 and 1993, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,194 boys in the US were given Forrest or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #295, up from #374 for this spelling alone.
- Forrest 850
- Forest 344
Forrest in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 850 | #374 |
| 2024 | 794 | #407 |
| 2023 | 746 | #424 |
| 2022 | 794 | #403 |
| 2021 | 745 | #414 |
| 2020 | 640 | #462 |
| 2019 | 583 | #492 |
| 2018 | 484 | #570 |
| 2017 | 460 | #593 |
| 2016 | 423 | #631 |
| 2015 | 391 | #660 |
| 2014 | 338 | #713 |
| 2013 | 257 | #833 |
| 2012 | 154 | #1,180 |
| 2011 | 161 | #1,126 |
| 2010 | 162 | #1,143 |
| 2009 | 166 | #1,112 |
| 2008 | 129 | #1,334 |
| 2007 | 142 | #1,237 |
| 2006 | 147 | #1,149 |
| 2005 | 151 | #1,092 |
| 2004 | 158 | #1,033 |
| 2003 | 195 | #876 |
| 2002 | 194 | #854 |
| 2001 | 207 | #807 |
| 2000 | 252 | #696 |
| 1999 | 262 | #657 |
| 1998 | 296 | #617 |
| 1997 | 370 | #538 |
| 1996 | 431 | #489 |
| 1995 | 858 | #309 |
| 1994 | 1,343 | #217 |
| 1993 | 948 | #291 |
| 1992 | 832 | #316 |
| 1991 | 620 | #371 |
| 1990 | 542 | #420 |
| 1989 | 461 | #438 |
| 1988 | 404 | #448 |
| 1987 | 377 | #457 |
| 1986 | 331 | #476 |
| 1985 | 310 | #491 |
| 1984 | 288 | #496 |
| 1983 | 313 | #473 |
| 1982 | 360 | #450 |
| 1981 | 312 | #470 |
| 1980 | 333 | #462 |
| 1979 | 316 | #462 |
| 1978 | 317 | #447 |
| 1977 | 315 | #452 |
| 1976 | 279 | #471 |
| 1975 | 277 | #480 |
| 1974 | 280 | #475 |
| 1973 | 222 | #526 |
| 1972 | 273 | #474 |
| 1971 | 316 | #457 |
| 1970 | 311 | #461 |
| 1969 | 277 | #458 |
| 1968 | 296 | #447 |
| 1967 | 302 | #436 |
| 1966 | 300 | #442 |
| 1965 | 348 | #419 |
| 1964 | 382 | #411 |
| 1963 | 403 | #402 |
| 1962 | 452 | #379 |
| 1961 | 429 | #381 |
| 1960 | 400 | #395 |
| 1959 | 436 | #379 |
| 1958 | 413 | #384 |
| 1957 | 460 | #354 |
| 1956 | 441 | #350 |
| 1955 | 504 | #329 |
| 1954 | 503 | #320 |
| 1953 | 476 | #324 |
| 1952 | 518 | #313 |
| 1951 | 501 | #312 |
| 1950 | 458 | #321 |
| 1949 | 459 | #318 |
| 1948 | 432 | #321 |
| 1947 | 513 | #305 |
| 1946 | 493 | #291 |
| 1945 | 441 | #285 |
| 1944 | 467 | #275 |
| 1943 | 450 | #288 |
| 1942 | 412 | #300 |
| 1941 | 426 | #278 |
| 1940 | 407 | #278 |
| 1939 | 414 | #269 |
| 1938 | 403 | #277 |
| 1937 | 420 | #263 |
| 1936 | 393 | #272 |
| 1935 | 422 | #264 |
| 1934 | 412 | #268 |
| 1933 | 454 | #245 |
| 1932 | 498 | #238 |
| 1931 | 473 | #243 |
| 1930 | 532 | #241 |
| 1929 | 602 | #211 |
| 1928 | 572 | #230 |
| 1927 | 610 | #219 |
| 1926 | 680 | #204 |
| 1925 | 648 | #212 |
| 1924 | 695 | #200 |
| 1923 | 758 | #186 |
| 1922 | 772 | #182 |
| 1921 | 781 | #180 |
| 1920 | 792 | #178 |
| 1919 | 686 | #185 |
| 1918 | 757 | #174 |
| 1917 | 663 | #183 |
| 1916 | 652 | #183 |
| 1915 | 643 | #176 |
| 1914 | 501 | #176 |
| 1913 | 395 | #173 |
| 1912 | 308 | #187 |
| 1911 | 152 | #198 |
| 1910 | 103 | #229 |
| 1909 | 125 | #182 |
| 1908 | 105 | #196 |
| 1907 | 115 | #187 |
| 1906 | 85 | #205 |
| 1905 | 75 | #221 |
| 1904 | 89 | #197 |
| 1903 | 76 | #204 |
| 1902 | 91 | #183 |
| 1901 | 73 | #196 |
| 1900 | 66 | #251 |
| 1899 | 83 | #174 |
| 1898 | 80 | #189 |
| 1897 | 81 | #191 |
| 1896 | 87 | #186 |
| 1895 | 88 | #180 |
| 1894 | 53 | #237 |
| 1893 | 74 | #196 |
| 1892 | 52 | #246 |
| 1891 | 59 | #204 |
| 1890 | 56 | #221 |
| 1889 | 65 | #200 |
| 1888 | 62 | #223 |
| 1887 | 34 | #276 |
| 1886 | 56 | #226 |
| 1885 | 36 | #277 |
| 1884 | 36 | #288 |
| 1883 | 25 | #331 |
| 1882 | 38 | #277 |
| 1881 | 28 | #307 |
| 1880 | 36 | #280 |
Names like Forrest
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Albert, Frederick, Chester, Rupert, Harris, Arthur, Stanley, Felix, Ernest, Francis, Otis, Louie
Other spellings of Forrest
More English names
Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Riley, Oakley, Mason, Cooper, Ruby, Hallie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Forrest: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/forrest, updated 20 October 2026.