Forester
An occupational surname for a forest officer or keeper, originally someone responsible for protecting woodland and game.
The #6,704 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,296 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Forester comes from a job title meaning a keeper of the forest. In medieval English records it appears in forms like le Forester, ultimately tied to the office of guarding woods, game, and forest law. The word is related to the Old English element for woodland and to Anglo-Norman/French forms used in official titles.
History
The surname is well attested in medieval England, especially in records from the 12th to 14th centuries. It often appears as an occupational byname for men who held forest offices or worked in royal and private woodland administration. Variant spellings such as Forster and Forrester became common over time, and some later bearers may not have had a direct hereditary link to the original office.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval foresters were not just woodcutters; they helped enforce forest law, including rules about game and timber.
From the historical record
“&c. FORESTER. FORRESTER. " An officer made by letters patent under the great seal, and sworn to preserve vert and venison in the forest ; and to attend upon the wild beasts within his bailiwick; to at- tach offenders there either in Vert or Veni- son, and to present the same at tlie courts of the Forest, tliat they…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom