Forster Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Forster last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Forster last name
Meaning of the Forster last name: forester. Forster is a German and English name for a forester, someone who looked after woodland. It is common in both countries. A curious detail: in medieval times foresters protected the lord's hunting grounds and could be quite powerful.
Arms associated with the Forster name
A curious German custom is the 'speaking arms', where the picture plays on the sound of the surname, an idea the Forster name belongs to by tradition.
Get your full Forster family history
This is only a glimpse of the Forster story. The full Forster 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 Forster coat of arms. Get the full Forster report.
Forster name FAQ
What does the Forster name mean?
Forester. Common variants include Förster, Forstner, Foerster.
Where does the Forster surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, England and Austria.
Is there a Forster coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Forster coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).