Forrester
An occupational surname for a forester or woods keeper.
The #2,596 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,247 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Forrester comes from the occupation of forest keeper: a person responsible for guarding woods, game, and hunting rights. It is related to Middle English and Anglo-Norman forms such as forestier/forestarius, ultimately from Latin forestis, meaning a forest or unenclosed woodland. The surname is a straightforward occupational name, with Forster a shortened or altered form in some families.
History
The name is well attested in medieval English records and appears in many spellings, including Forster and Forestier-type forms. It spread widely in England and later into Scotland and Ireland, where it is also found among surnames recorded by Gaelic and British genealogists. In some cases, the name may have been simplified over time to Forster.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The medieval office behind this surname was not just about trees: a forester could also police hunting grounds and protect the king’s game.
From the historical record
“house or village at the ford. FORRESTER and FORSTER. A woodman. FORSYTES. (Gaelic.) From Fear, a man, and Syfh, up- right, honest, stiff. FORTESCUE. Strong shield. Sir Richard Le Forte (the brave), one of the leaders in the army of William the Con- queror, who had the good fortune to protect his chief at the battle…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names