Forbes Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Forbes last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Forbes last name
Meaning of the Forbes last name: from the lands of Forbes. Forbes is a Scottish surname from the lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire, perhaps from Gaelic forba, "field" or "district". The family held lands along the River Don for centuries. A curious detail of this surname origin: in Scotland the last name is often said in two syllables, "For-bes", and an Aberdeenshire-born Forbes founded the famous business magazine in New York in 1917.
Arms associated with the Forbes name
In Scotland a coat of arms is strictly personal and still overseen by the Court of the Lord Lyon, so each blazon associated with the Forbes name belongs to one bearer at a time.
Get your full Forbes family history
This is only a glimpse of the Forbes story. The full Forbes history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Forbes coat of arms. Get the full Forbes report.
Forbes name FAQ
What does the Forbes name mean?
From the lands of Forbes. Common variants include Forbess, Forbis, Fforbes.
Where does the Forbes surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and England.
Is there a Forbes coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Forbes coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).