Foerster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Etymology of Foerster

What does the name Foerster mean?

The Foerster surname was no doubt taken on by someone who either lived in or near a forest, or perhaps worked in the forest. The Middle English word "forest" referred specifically to an area of woodland reserved by law as hunting grounds for the king or his nobles. No doubt, as a surname, Foerster would have appeared independently in various parts of Britain.

One source claims the name as Norman, descended from Forez, Normandy. There Guerard and Nicholas de Foresta of Normandy were found in 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). The source continues to note that William Forist held lands in Hampshire in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 2

Early Origins of the Foerster family

The surname Foerster was first found in Northumberland, but early records include John Forester, listed in the Pipe Rolls of Surrey of 1183, and Richard le Forester listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1240. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include: Petrus Forestarius, Jordan le Forester; and Nicholas le Forester. 4 There was also a Shropshire family of this name, who held custody of part of the Wrekin forest. An early record of this family lists a Hugh Forester as a witness 1187. 3

As a trade name, the family were traditional "officers made by letters patent under the great seal, and sworn to preserve vert and venison in the forest; and to attend upon the wild beasts within his bailiwick; to attach offenders there either in Vert or Venison, and to preserve the same at the courts of the Forest." 5

Early History of the Foerster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foerster research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1471, 1538, 1623, 1652, 1655, 1679, 1690, 1698, 1718, 1758, 1767 and 1828 are included under the topic Early Foerster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foerster Spelling Variations

The name, Foerster, occurred in many references, and from time to time, it was spelt Forrester, Forester, Forrest, Forster, Foster, Forrestor and many more.

Early Notables of the Foerster family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was John Forrest (1471-1538), English friar and martyr; Francis Forester (b. 1623) was High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1652; Sir William Forester (1655-1718), of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire, Member of Parliament for the borough constituency of Wenlock (1679 to his death)...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Foerster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foerster Ranking

In the United States, the name Foerster is the 18,227^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Foerster family to Ireland

Some of the Foerster family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foerster migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned settlers from the Scottish-English borders. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Among the early settlers bearing the Foerster surname who came to North America were:

Foerster Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cath Foerster, aged 24, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 7
Margrethe Foerster, aged 29, who arrived in New Orleans La in 1845 7
Mr. Edward Foerster, aged 37, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Dyle Soomes"
Mrs. Emilie S. Foerster, aged 35, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Dyle Soomes"
Child Foerster, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Dyle Soomes", male child of Edward
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Foerster (post 1700) +

Heinz von Foerster (1911-2002), Austrian American scientist
Thomas J. Foerster, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives; Elected 1960, 1964 8
Thomas Foerster (d. 2000), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Legislature; Candidate for Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1978; Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1992 8
Patricia Ann Foerster, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1996, 2000, 2004 8
August Förster, founder of the August Förster Piano Manufacturing Company in 1859
Karlheinz Helmut Förster (b. 1958), retired German footballer
Wilhelm Julius Foerster (1832-1921), German astronomer
Josef Bohuslav Foerster (1859-1951), Czech composer of classical music

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html