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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Wooded land; from Old French forest, adopted as an English surname and later used as a given name.
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- FOR-ist
Forest is a boy's name with English roots, coming from the Old French word for wooded land — it started out as a surname before parents began using it as a given name. It's pronounced FOR-ist. If you're picturing rolling woodlands when you hear it, that lines up with the name's actual origin.
Meaning & Origin of Forest
Meaning: Wooded land; from Old French forest, adopted as an English surname and later used as a given name..
Origin: English.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Forest
FOR-istIPA /ˈfɔːrɪst/
Popularity of Forest
Forest hit its highest popularity back in 1893, ranking #223 with 59 babies given the name that year. It's fallen since then, landing at #724 in 2024 with 361 babies — fewer boys in the top ranks overall, but more Forests by raw count than at its 1893 peak.
Names Like Forest
These names share Forest’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Forest mean?
Wooded land; from Old French forest, adopted as an English surname and later used as a given name.. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Forest?
Forest is pronounced FOR-ist (IPA: /ˈfɔːrɪst/).
Is Forest a popular name right now?
Forest peaked at #223 in 1893 and is ranked #724 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
Make Forest Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Forest, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Forest? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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