Show ContentsForst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Forst family

The surname Forst was first found in Holland, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in South Holland, a province of Holland, the most crowded province of the Netherlands. The principal cities are Rotterdam, Leyden and Shiedam. Noted is the famed castle of Teilengen where Jacqueline of Bavaria is buried. In their later history the surname became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.

The name is a "topographic name for someone who lived by a ford or crossing point, Middle Dutch voorde, or a habitational name from a place named with this word, for example Tervoort in North Brabant." 1

Early History of the Forst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forst research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1576, 1615, 1624, 1663, 1690, 1739 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Forst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forst Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Voorst, Voorstad, Voorsteegh, Voort, Vorst, Vorstell, Vorstern, Vorstman and many more.

Early Notables of the Forst family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Forst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forst Ranking

In the United States, the name Forst is the 14,631st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


Forst migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Forst Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Forst, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 3
Forst Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hendryk Forst, aged 19, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1735 3
  • Henrich Forst, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1735 3
  • Abraham Forst, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1780
Forst Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Adolph Forst, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1855 3
  • Arnold Forst, who settled in Galveston, TX in 1867
  • Barb. Forst, who arrived in New York, NY in 1870
  • Anna Forst, who settled in Chicago in 1870

Forst migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Forst Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • lames Forst, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750

Contemporary Notables of the name Forst (post 1700) +

  • Marion Francis Forst (1910-2007), American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Dodge City (1960-1976)
  • Donald H. Forst (1932-2014), American newspaper editor
  • Francis A. Forst, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Governor of New Jersey, 1973 4
  • Werner Forst (1892-1971), German general during World War II, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Rainer Forst (b. 1964), German philosopher and political theorist
  • Grete Forst (1878-1942), born Margarete Feiglstock, an Austrian soprano
  • Willi Forst (1903-1980), born Wilhelm Anton Frohs, an Austrian actor, screenwriter, film director, film producer and singer
  • Judith Doris Forst OC OBC (b. 1943), née Lumb, a Canadian mezzo-soprano


  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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