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 language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

, 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. Variants of the name are first recorded in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

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

Templar knight The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

, 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. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

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 ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

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 East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In ...

. The name is first recorded in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

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

Comiston Comiston (, 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, Comiston Road, i ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

had a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

containing three oak trees and the motto "''vivunt dum virent''" (they live while green). The prominent pioneer family of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, including Sir John Forrest, 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, particula ...

, 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 ...

, Australian mining entrepreneur * Anne Marie Forrest, Irish writer * Anthony Alexander Forrest, 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 “Chuck” 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' ...

, American

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American television 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 g ...

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, American composer * Darrick Forrest (born 1999), American football player * David Forrest (disambiguation), multiple people * Edwin Forrest, American actor * Emmett Forrest (1927–2013), American collector and museum founder * Eric Forrest, bass guitarist * Frederic Forrest, American actor * French Forrest, 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 Good ...

, American big band singer * Henry Garnet Forrest (1895–1945), Australian pilot * Ina Forrest, Canadian wheelchair curler * James Forrest (disambiguation), several people *

Jason Forrest Jason Forrest is an American electronic music producer known for noisy Experimental music, experimental electronica and breakcore incorporating many ideas of Mashup (music), mash-up and rock and roll. Largely produced and performed on a single c ...

, electronic music producer * Jeffrey E. Forrest, slave trader, Confederate officer * 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 an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' * J.D. Forrest, American ice hockey player *

Katherine V. Forrest Katherine V. Forrest (born 1939) is a Canadian-born American writer, best known for her novels about lesbian police detective Kate Delafield. Her books have won and been finalists for Lambda Literary Award twelve times, as well as other awards. S ...

, American writer * Kevin Forrest, American soccer player * Linn A. Forrest, American architect *

Margaret Forrest Margaret Elvire Forrest, Lady Forrest (née Hamersley; 22 October 1844 – 13 June 1929 in Picton, Bunbury, Western Australia, Bunbury) was the wife of Sir John Forrest. Personal life Born in Le Havre, France, she was a member of the prom ...

, wife of John Forrest the explorer * Mistress Forrest (), First lady colonist of Virginia *

Maureen Milgram Forrest Maureen Milgram Forrest (1 February 1938 - 1 March 2013) was a British co-founder of LeicesterHERday Trust and the original project director for the BRIT School in Croydon, London. She was also known as Lillian Maureen Bernice Forrest. She was ...

(1938–2013), British businesswoman *

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...

, Confederate general, first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan * Nathan Bedford Forrest II, white supremacist * Nathan Bedford Forrest III, American general * Nita Forrest (1926–1996), Canadian artist * Paula Forrest, Australian actress * Peter Forrest, Australian cricketer * Ray Forrest, American radio announcer * Ruth Forrest, Tasmanian politician * Sally Forrest, American actress *

Sam Forrest Samuel Forrest (born 1977) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the frontman of Nine Black Alps. He also co-fronts The Sorry Kisses with Hayley Hutchinson and previously played bass in the York-based group, The Halcyon Band. Forrest ...

, singer and guitarist * Steve Forrest (actor) (1925–2013), American actor * Steve Forrest (musician), rock music drummer * Ted Forrest, American poker player * Thomas Forrest (politician), American politician * Thomas Forrest (colonist) (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 (1971–2009), American boxer * William Forrest (1902–1989), an American film actor * William Forrest (disambiguation), several people

Fictional characters

* Duke Forrest, 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. In the movie, his last name is Richmond instead.

Notable people

Fictional characters

References

See also