Forrest is a surname of English and Scottish origins. This name derives from the Old French "forest" (Latin "foreste(m)", a derivative of "foris" meaning "outside"). The word was introduced by the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...

, and referred to a

Royal Forest A royal forest, occasionally known as a kingswood (), is an area of land with different definitions in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The term ''forest'' in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the ...

. Variants include Forest, De Forest, De Forrest, DeForest and DeForrest. Forrest is associated with Clan Forrester and

Clan Douglas Clan Douglas is an ancient clan or noble house from the Scottish Lowlands. Taking their name from Douglas in Lanarkshire, their leaders gained vast territories throughout the Borders, Angus, Lothian, Moray, and also in France and Sweden. ...

. Variants of the name are first recorded in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in the early 13th century. Hugh de Foresta is mentioned in the Curia Regis rolls in 1204. There was a

Templar knight , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

, Guy de Foresta, who was Master of the Temple, n 1290–1294. One Adam ate forest appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Kent in 1300. In

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

the name is first mentioned in the Morton Register of 1376 where William de Forest is found in Newlands, Scottish Borders. Morgan de Forest is found in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

in 1402, and a William of Forest was physician to the Queen in 1430. In 1505 John Forrest is recorded as succeeding his father John as owner of Gamelshiel castle in East Lothian. The name is first recorded in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in 1566 where Piers Forest was a merchant in Cork. The Forrest baronets of

Comiston Comiston ( gd, Baile Chaluim, IPA: �paleˈxaɫ̪ɯim is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of Morningside and west of the Braid Hills, linking the suburbs of Oxgangs and Fairmilehead. The main road through the area, ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

had a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

containing three oak trees and the motto "''vivunt dum virent''" (they live while green). The influential pioneer family of Western Australia also have this motto and similar arms in their history.

Notable people

* Alex Forrest (footballer), Scottish footballer *

Alexander Forrest Alexander Forrest CMG (22 September 1849 – 20 June 1901) was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, and later also a member of parliament. As a government surveyor, Forrest explored many areas of remote Western Australia, particu ...

, Australian explorer and politician *

Andrew Forrest John Andrew Henry Forrest (born 18 November 1961), nicknamed Twiggy, is an Australian businessman. He is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), and has other interests in the mining i ...

, Australian mining entrepreneur *

Anne Marie Forrest Anne Marie Forrest is an author who grew up Blarney, County Cork, Ireland. After graduating from University College Cork, she completed her master's degree in Urban and Rural Planning at the University College Dublin. Having lived in various pa ...

, Irish writer *

Anthony Alexander Forrest Anthony Alexander Forrest (20 November 1884 – 15 May 1901) was an Australian rules footballer and soldier who was killed in the Second Boer War. The son of Alexander Forrest, a politician and twice Mayor of Perth, he attended The High School ...

, Australian rules footballer and soldier * April Forrest, singer in girlgroup Jada * Arthur J. Forrest, Medal of Honor recipient *

Barbara Forrest Barbara Carroll Forrest is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. She is a critic of intelligent design and the Discovery Institute. Biography Forrest is a graduate of Hammond High School. She re ...

, philosopher and critic of intelligent design *

Catriona Forrest Catriona Forrest (born 27 February 1984, in Glasgow) is a female field hockey defender from Scotland. She plays club hockey for Glasgow Western Ladies, and made her debut for the Women's National Team in 2005. Her older brother James represented ...

, Scottish field hockey player *

Chuck Forrest Charles Forrest (born June 3, 1961) is an American attorney and game show contestant who at one time held the record for the largest non-tournament cash winnings total on the syndicated game show ''Jeopardy!'' The ''Los Angeles Times'' called him ...

, American

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given gene ...

champion *

Craig Forrest Craig Lorne Forrest (born 20 September 1967) is a Canadian former professional soccer player and sports commentator. As a player, he was a goalkeeper from 1985 until 2002, playing his entire career in England. He made Premier League appearance ...

, Canadian soccer/football player *

Dan Forrest Daniel Ernest Forrest Jr. (born January 7, 1978) is an American composer, pianist, educator, and music editor. Biography Dan Forrest was born in Breesport, New York, and began piano lessons with his elementary school music teacher at age 8. In ...

, American composer *

Darrick Forrest Darrick Forrest Jr. (born May 22, 1999) is an American football free safety for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati and was drafted by Washington in the fifth round of the 2021 ...

(born 1999), American football player * David Forrest (disambiguation), multiple people *

Edwin Forrest Edwin Forrest (March 9, 1806December 12, 1872) was a prominent nineteenth-century American Shakespearean actor. His feud with the British actor William Macready was the cause of the deadly Astor Place Riot of 1849. Early life Forrest was born i ...

, American actor *

Emmett Forrest William Emmett Forrest, Jr. (September 3, 1927 – January 12, 2013) was an American pop culture collector, museum founder, and longtime friend of actor Andy Griffith. Forrest was an extensive collector of memorabilia spanning Griffith's career. H ...

(1927–2013), American collector and museum founder *

Eric Forrest Eric Forrest (born 1970) is a Canadian heavy metal musician. Active since 1988, Forrest is best known for playing in a number of metal bands, including Voivod, E-Force, and Project Failing Flesh. Career During the late 1980s and early 1990s, ...

, bass guitarist *

Frederic Forrest Frederic Fenimore Forrest Jr. (born December 23, 1936) is an American actor. Forrest came to public attention for his performance in ''When the Legends Die'' (1972), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising N ...

, American actor *

French Forrest French Forrest (1796 – December 22, 1866) was an American naval officer who served first in the United States Navy and later the Confederate States Navy. His combat experience prior to the American Civil War included service in the War of 181 ...

, American Confederate naval officer * George Forrest, several people * Hal Forrest, American comics artist *

Helen Forrest Helen Forrest (born Helen Fogel, April 12, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music. She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (Artie Shaw, Benny Goodm ...

, American big band singer *

Ina Forrest Ina Forrest (born 25 May 1962) is a wheelchair curler selected to be second for Canada's team at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Paralympics, winning a gold medal on both occasions. She has also won a gold medal 3 times in the World Wheelchair Curlin ...

, Canadian wheelchair curler * James Forrest (disambiguation), several people * Jason Forrest, electronic music producer * Jim Forrest, Scottish curler, European champion * John Forrest (disambiguation), several people * Joseph King Cummins Forrest, a founder of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' * J.D. Forrest, American ice hockey player * Katherine V. Forrest, American writer *

Kevin Forrest Kevin Forrest (born November 3 in Seattle, Washington) is a retired American soccer player. Career Youth and College Forrest grew up in Edmonds, Washington, and began his career with various youth soccer teams in the Seattle area, including Em ...

, American soccer player * Linn A. Forrest, American architect * Margaret Forrest, wife of John Forrest the explorer * Maureen Milgram Forrest (1938–2013), British businesswoman * Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate general, first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan * Nathan Bedford Forrest III, American general * Nita Forrest (1926–1996), Canadian artist *

Paula Forrest Paula Forrest (born 14 July, c. 1965) an Australian actress, best known for playing the role of Shelley Sutherland on the long-running Australian soap opera '' Home and Away'' In ''Home and Away'' (1988), Forrest played the part of Shelley wh ...

, Australian actress * Peter Forrest, Australian cricketer * Ray Forrest, American radio announcer *

Ruth Forrest Ruth Jane Forrest (born 4 March 1962 in Burnie) is an independent member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council in the electoral division of Murchison. Forrest was first elected in May 2005. Following her first six-year term, she was the only ca ...

, Tasmanian politician *

Sally Forrest Sally Forrest (born Katherine Feeney; May 28, 1928 – March 15, 2015), was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by Metro-Gol ...

, American actress * Sam Forrest, singer and guitarist * Steve Forrest (actor) (1925–2013), American actor * Steve Forrest (musician), rock music drummer *

Ted Forrest Ted Forrest (born September 24, 1964) is an American professional poker player, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tournament wins Forrest won three bracelets at the 1993 World Series of Poker (WSOP). After the mid-1990s, Forrest turn ...

, American poker player *

Thomas Forrest (politician) Thomas Forrest (1747March 20, 1825) was an American politician. He was member of the 16th Session of the United States Congress, and first chairman of the United States House Committee on Agriculture. He fought in the Continental Army as an art ...

, American politician * Thomas Forrest, Esq (1572–1641), Virginia Company Financier, husband of the first woman to come to America in 1608 * Tom Forrest, American football player * Uriah Forrest (1746–1805), Revolutionary War hero, U.S. Congressman for Maryland, and descendant of Thomas Forrest, Esq *

Vernon Forrest Vernon Forrest (February 12, 1971 – July 25, 2009) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the WBC, IBF, ''Ring'' magazine and lineal welterweig ...

(1971–2009), American boxer * William Forrest (1902–1989), an American film actor * William Forrest (disambiguation), several people

Fictional characters

Duke Forrest This is a list of characters from the ''M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televisio ...

, a character from the ''M*A*S*H'' novels * Admiral Maxwell Forrest, a recurring character on ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' *Emmett Forrest, Elle Woods’ love interest in the musical adaptation of the film

Legally Blonde ''Legally Blonde'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his feature-length directorial debut, and scripted by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith from Amanda Brown's 2001 novel of the same name. It stars Reese Wit ...

. In the movie, his last name is Richmond instead.

Notable people

Fictional characters

See also