Forbes

Forbes Meaning & Origin

About Forbes
The surname Forbes is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic word "forba," meaning "field" or "plain." It is a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name were associated with a place named Forbes. The name is predominantly found in Scotland and is associated with the Clan Forbes, one of the oldest and most noble Scottish clans. Over time, individuals with the surname Forbes have spread across the world, particularly during periods of Scottish migration, and the name has become well-known internationally.

🌍 Origin
📏 Surname Length
💬 Number of Syllables
🔠 Starting Letter
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Popularity

Surname Popularity by Ethnicity

The surname Forbes is a unique entry in our records. Discover more about its distribution and characteristics:

  • Number of People with the name Forbes: 33,813
  • Overall Popularity: 0.01%
  • Ranking: 1,028
  • Frequency per 100k people: 11.46

Below is the ethnic distribution of the surname Forbes based on recent US Census records. This is a brief glimpse into the diverse backgrounds of people carrying this surname.

Ranking information for the surname Forbes is not currently available.

Pronunciation

📇 Metaphone
FRPS
🗽 NYSIIS
FA
🔊 Soundex
F06102
🎵 Syllabic Pronunciation
F AO1 R B Z
🌐 IPA
/fɔrbz/
🔊 Double Metaphone
('FRPS', '')
🈯 Cross-Lingual Phonetic
F612

Accessibility & Communication

How to write the name Forbes in Braille

Here's how to represent Forbes in Braille, each pattern of raised dots corresponds to a letter in the name.

The name Forbes in braille

How to sign the name Forbes using Sign Language

The image below shows how you can spell Forbes using American Sign Language (ASL). In sign language, each hand shape corresponds to a specific a letter of the name.

The name Forbes in sign language

Numerology