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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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Early Origins of the Forster family

The surname Forster 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.

Early History of the Forster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forster research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1504, 1543, 1595, 1624, 1643, 1666, 1675, 1676 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Forster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forster Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Forsman, Vorsterman, Vorstermann, Vorstman, Vorstmann, Förster, Fuster, Feursman, Vorzmann, Voortmann, van Forsman and many more.

Early Notables of the Forster family

From this era of Dutch history, those of this who distinguished themselves included Willem Vorsterman (died 1543), an early printer of books, active in Antwerp between 1504 and 1543. He published about 400 books in Dutch, Spanish, English, Latin, French and Danish, making him the second most productive printer in the Netherlands in the first half of the 16th century. Lucas Vorsterman the Elder (1595-1675), was a Baroque engraver who worked with the artists Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, as well as for patrons...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Forster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forster World Ranking

In the United States, the name Forster is the 4,558th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Forster is ranked the 532nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,278 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name Forster is the 811st popular surname with an estimated 900 people with that name. 3 The United Kingdom ranks Forster as 526th with 12,527 people. 4

United States Forster migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Forster Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Josias Forster, aged 43, who arrived in Bermuda, (Somers Islands) in 1635 aboard the ship "Truelove" 5
  • Richard Forster, who landed in Maryland in 1653 5
  • Richard, Forster Jr., who arrived in Maryland in 1653 5
  • Ann Forster, who arrived in Maryland in 1653 5
  • Jane Forster, who arrived in Maryland in 1653 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Forster Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter Forster, who arrived in New Jersey in 1709 5
  • Johan Mike] Forster, who landed in New York in 1709 5
  • Johan Georg Forster, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 5
  • Hans Michael Forster, who settled in Philadelphia in 1727
  • Johan Jac Forster, aged 30, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Forster Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Forster, who landed in America in 1806 5
  • Elnr Forster, who landed in America in 1806 5
  • Francis Forster, who landed in Maryland in 1807 5
  • Frederick Forster, who arrived in Mississippi in 1839 5
  • Andra Forster, who landed in New York, NY in 1843 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Forster Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Bertha Forster, who arrived in Colorado in 1903 5

Canada Forster migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Forster Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mrs. Forster, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1778
Forster Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Wilhelmine Forster, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Canton" departing 20th June 1847 from Bremen, Germany; the ship arrived on 7th August 1847 but she died on board 6

Australia Forster migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Forster Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Forster, British Convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for life, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. George Forster, British convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for 7 years for forgery, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Joseph Forster, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. John Forster, British convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Mr. Samuel Forster, (Foster) who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Forster migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Forster Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Rumsey Forster, aged 22, a bookseller, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 12
  • John Forster, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Whitby" in 1841
  • Lucy Forster, aged 21, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1842
  • Richard Forster, aged 18, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ambrosine" in 1860 13
  • Holman Forster, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Forster (post 1700) +

  • Nora Maier Forster (1942-2023), née Maier, a German-British publishing heiress, actress and model who was primarily known as a music promoter who worked in West Germany with Jimi Hendrix, Wishbone Ash and Yes, wife of John Lydon of the Sex Pistols
  • Johann Georg Adam Forster (1754-1794), Polish-born naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist, and revolutionary; he accompanied his father on several scientific expeditions, including James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific
  • Robert Forster (1941-2019), American actor nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for Jackie Brown
  • William Forster (1784-1854), English-born, American preacher, Quaker elder and a fervent abolitionist, an early member of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1839
  • Brigadier-General George Jacob Forster (1891-1979), American Assistant Commanding General 66th Division (1944-1945) 14
  • John Forster (b. 1948), American folk musician
  • George J. Forster (1905-1988), American politician, Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, 1950-55 15
  • George H. Forster, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Senate 11th District, 1880-81; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1888 15
  • George Forster, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Rockville, Connecticut, 1904-11, 1929; Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Vernon; Elected 1908 15
  • Dianna Forster, American Republican politician, Member of Michigan Republican State Central Committee, 1979 15
  • ... (Another 28 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bismarck
  • Georg Forster (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 16
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Frederick G Forster (b. 1919), English Engine Room Artificer 4th Class serving for the Royal Navy from Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Thomas Forster, British Engine Room Artificer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 18
  • Mr. Stanley Arnold Forster (1925-1943), English Able Seaman from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, died whilst a Prisoner of War in 1943 18
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  4. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  5. 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)
  6. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 76)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
  9. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, February 29) George Forster. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Forster/George_Jacob/USA.html
  15. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  16. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
  17. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  18. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
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