Forbes is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, Scotland. It is 6 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Forbes
No. of characters: 6
Origin: Ireland, Scotland
Meaning:

One from Forbes meaning "field place," in Aberdeenshire.

A town and barony in Aberdeenshire. The family possessed that lordship as early as temp. William the Lion, and were seated at Pitscotte in the same shire in 1476.

This family had become widely extended and powerful in the XV century. "These of this name," says historian Nisbet, "are said by our historians to be originally from one Ochonacher, who came from Ireland, and, for killing a wild bear, took the name Forbear (queer act of for bearance that!) now pronounced Forbes!" Yet he tells us, further on, that the family were lords of Forbois or Forbes in Aberdeenshire.

How popular is Forbes?

Forbes is common in United States, England, Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Scotland, South Africa, Bahamas, Philippines, New Zealand, Turks and Caicos Islands, Colombia, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Namibia, Wales, Costa Rica, France, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Honduras, Dominican Republic, United States Virgin Islands, Spain, Argentina, Thailand.

Forbes is ranked 5067 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Forbes bearers increased by 4.92 per cent in 2010 US census to 33813 since 2000, the surname slipped by 42 spots and ranked at 1028. The last name was found in around 1 per ten thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 70.42 74.24
Black 22.51 20.26
Hispanic or Latino 3.61 2.48
Others 2.22 1.89
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.79 0.6
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46 0.53
Forbes is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Turks and Caicos Islands lie ahead in terms of density. Around 111619 people have been found who wears Forbes as their family name. Forbes is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Forbes:
932 United States45,949
743 England10,456
Countries with thousands of Forbes:
391 Australia9,432
529 Canada9,258
70 Jamaica7,246
100 Scotland7,135
1,957 South Africa3,492
28 Bahamas3,010
5,573 Philippines2,789
361 New Zealand1,769
2 Turks and Caicos Islands1,423
2,415 Colombia1,041
Countries with hundreds of Forbes:
446 Northern Ireland856
3,346 Sri Lanka804
644 Panama675
362 Trinidad and Tobago646
746 Nicaragua569
1,466 Ireland402
10,981 Saudi Arabia398
1,222 Namibia383
952 Wales361
602 Costa Rica336
40,776 France251
43 Cayman Islands232
23 British Virgin Islands230
1,229 Honduras183
3,013 Dominican Republic169
107 United States Virgin Islands142
22,576 Spain111
30,872 Argentina106
112,498 Thailand105
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
2,231 Singapore98
74,479 Brazil88
5,627 Portugal85
67,438 Germany83
22,304 Zimbabwe82
16,423 Mexico81
306 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines79
192,972 India77
32,252 Netherlands67
1,006 Belize58
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
4,711 Guatemala47
2,185 Guyana46
236 Saint Kitts and Nevis43
254 Bermuda41
12,743 Venezuela39
488 Jersey36
11,607 Botswana33
40,799 Malaysia33
516 Grenada31
148,179 Nigeria29
22,806 Switzerland29
24,678 Sweden28
679 Isle of Man27
570 Antigua and Barbuda23
3,382 China22
51,586 Belgium21
66,013 Greece21
98,106 Italy21
5,797 Cuba20
19,774 Chile18
13,769 Ecuador18
30,120 Norway17
1,526 Guam16
410,938 Indonesia11
27,512 United Arab Emirates11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
372 Gambia9
719 Swaziland9
75,134 Austria8
39,626 Denmark8
652 Northern Mariana Islands8
218 Anguilla6
105,647 Czechia6
75,466 Israel6
6,082 Oman6
55,922 Qatar6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Elizabeth Forbes worked as spinster and hailed from Ireland. During the great famine, 18 years old embarked for USA from Belfast on Sultan and arrived on November 7, 1848. William Forbes (30) Merchant, William Forbes, aged 36, Archd. Forbes (35) Workman, 19 years old Eliza-Ann Forbes, Ann Forbes, aged 26, William Forbes (24) Joiner, Mechanic George Forbes, 40 years old Sarah Forbes, Immigrant Margaret Forbes, and 65 other Forbes around 39.53% of whom were workman while others worked as spinster and servant, mechanic, farmer migrated to US from Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast.

From Germany

30 years old trader George Forbes who was residing in Germany migrated to USA on October 27, 1879 by City Of Chester put out from Liverpool & Queenstown. F.M. Forbes, aged 21, are others that migrated to US.

Forbes Namesakes

  • Alexander F. I. Forbes, South African astronomer
  • Esther Forbes, American novelist
  • Sarah Forbes, Canadian field hockey international playing
  • Thelma Forbes, politician in Manitoba, Canada
  • Bart Forbes, American painter and illustrator
  • Bruce Forbes, ordained minister in the United Methodist Church
  • Kristin Forbes, American economist
  • Henry Ogg Forbes, Scottish explorer, ornithologist, and botanist
  • James Forbes, 16th Lord Forbes, son of William Forbes, 14th Lord Forbes
  • Kelly Forbes, Canadian retired male skeleton racer
  • Darian Forbes, sprinter from Turks and Caicos Islands
  • James A. Forbes, James Alexander Forbes, Jr
  • James Fraser Forbes, Canadian politician and a member of the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Queens
  • Charles John Forbes, official in the British Army and political figure
  • Kathryn Forbes, American writer and memoirist
  • Elliot Forbes, American conductor and musicologist noted for his Beethoven scholarship
  • Sheila Forbes, British educator, consultant and manager
  • Walter Forbes, American corporate executive and former Federal prisoner
  • Alexander Forbes, 1st Lord Forbes, Scottish nobleman
  • William S. Forbes, American physician
  • Edwin Forbes, American landscape painter and etcher
  • Patrick William Forbes, leader of the paramilitary British South Africa Police
  • Delanie Forbes, English actress
  • Hamish Forbes, British Army officer
  • William Trowbridge Merrifield Forbes, American entomologist
  • Alan Forbes, poster artist and painter
  • Nigel Forbes, 22nd Lord Forbes, Scottish soldier
  • James David Forbes, Scottish physicist and glaciologist
  • Edward Forbes, Manx naturalist
  • Graham Forbes, priest of the Scottish Episcopal Church
  • Gregory S. Forbes, was The Weather Channel's long-time severe weather expert and has a significant research background
  • Stephen Alfred Forbes, first chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey
  • Patrick Forbes, late 16th-century and early 17th-century Scottish churchman
  • Michelle Forbes, American actress
  • B. C. Forbes, Scottish-born American financial journalist and author
  • Malcolm Forbes, American entrepreneur most prominently known as the publisher of 'Forbes' magazine
  • Steve Forbes, Forbes Jr
  • John Murray Forbes, American railroad magnate, merchant
  • Robert Bennet Forbes, sea captain, China merchant, ship owner
  • William Cameron Forbes, American investment banker and diplomat
  • Ralph Forbes, English film and stage actor
  • Bold Forbes, champion thoroughbred racehorse
  • Michael Forbes, politician from the state of New York
  • Bryan Forbes, English film director, screenwriter, film producer
  • Roy Forbes, Canadian folk music singer-songwriter
  • Alexander Kinloch Forbes, scholar of the Gujarati language and a colonial administrator
  • China Forbes, American singer and songwriter
  • Stanhope Forbes, artist and a founding member of the influential Newlyn school of painters
  • Emma Forbes, English radio and television presenter
  • Archibald Forbes, Scottish war correspondent
  • Alex Forbes, Scottish football player and manager
  • John Malcolm Forbes, businessman and sportsman
  • George L. Forbes, American politician of the Democratic Party
  • P. J. Forbes, former Major League Baseball infielder
  • Terrell Forbes, English professional footballer
  • Kenneth Forbes, Canadian portrait and landscape painter

Forbes Namesakes

  • Alexander F. I. Forbes, South African astronomer
  • Esther Forbes, American novelist
  • Sarah Forbes, Canadian field hockey international playing
  • Thelma Forbes, politician in Manitoba, Canada
  • Bart Forbes, American painter and illustrator
  • Bruce Forbes, ordained minister in the United Methodist Church
  • Kristin Forbes, American economist
  • Henry Ogg Forbes, Scottish explorer, ornithologist, and botanist
  • James Forbes, 16th Lord Forbes, son of William Forbes, 14th Lord Forbes
  • Kelly Forbes, Canadian retired male skeleton racer
  • Darian Forbes, sprinter from Turks and Caicos Islands
  • James A. Forbes, James Alexander Forbes, Jr
  • James Fraser Forbes, Canadian politician and a member of the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Queens
  • Charles John Forbes, official in the British Army and political figure
  • Kathryn Forbes, American writer and memoirist
  • Elliot Forbes, American conductor and musicologist noted for his Beethoven scholarship
  • Sheila Forbes, British educator, consultant and manager
  • Walter Forbes, American corporate executive and former Federal prisoner
  • Alexander Forbes, 1st Lord Forbes, Scottish nobleman
  • William S. Forbes, American physician
  • Edwin Forbes, American landscape painter and etcher
  • Patrick William Forbes, leader of the paramilitary British South Africa Police
  • Delanie Forbes, English actress
  • Hamish Forbes, British Army officer
  • William Trowbridge Merrifield Forbes, American entomologist
  • Alan Forbes, poster artist and painter
  • Nigel Forbes, 22nd Lord Forbes, Scottish soldier
  • James David Forbes, Scottish physicist and glaciologist
  • Edward Forbes, Manx naturalist
  • Graham Forbes, priest of the Scottish Episcopal Church
  • Gregory S. Forbes, was The Weather Channel's long-time severe weather expert and has a significant research background
  • Stephen Alfred Forbes, first chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey
  • Patrick Forbes, late 16th-century and early 17th-century Scottish churchman
  • Michelle Forbes, American actress
  • B. C. Forbes, Scottish-born American financial journalist and author
  • Malcolm Forbes, American entrepreneur most prominently known as the publisher of 'Forbes' magazine
  • Steve Forbes, Forbes Jr
  • John Murray Forbes, American railroad magnate, merchant
  • Robert Bennet Forbes, sea captain, China merchant, ship owner
  • William Cameron Forbes, American investment banker and diplomat
  • Ralph Forbes, English film and stage actor
  • Bold Forbes, champion thoroughbred racehorse
  • Michael Forbes, politician from the state of New York
  • Bryan Forbes, English film director, screenwriter, film producer
  • Roy Forbes, Canadian folk music singer-songwriter
  • Alexander Kinloch Forbes, scholar of the Gujarati language and a colonial administrator
  • China Forbes, American singer and songwriter
  • Stanhope Forbes, artist and a founding member of the influential Newlyn school of painters
  • Emma Forbes, English radio and television presenter
  • Archibald Forbes, Scottish war correspondent
  • Alex Forbes, Scottish football player and manager
  • John Malcolm Forbes, businessman and sportsman
  • George L. Forbes, American politician of the Democratic Party
  • P. J. Forbes, former Major League Baseball infielder
  • Terrell Forbes, English professional footballer
  • Kenneth Forbes, Canadian portrait and landscape painter

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