Save Type Surname (from location) Usage English, French Pronounced Pron. /ˈfɔɹ.ɪst/(English) [key·simplify] Meaning & History Originally belonged to a person who lived near or in a forest. It was probably originally derived, via Old French forest, from Latin forestam (silva) meaning "outer (wood)". Related NamesDetails RootforestVariantsForester, Forrest, Foster(English) Deforest, Forestier(French) Given Name DescendantsForest, Forrest(English) Categories cat breeds, Catholic saints, English nouns, English verbs, martyrs, nature, trees, word names