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FORBES

AbeBooks.com. Thousands of booksellers - millions of books.

There are approximately 19,870 people named Forbes in the UK. That makes it the 510th most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 314 are named Forbes.

Region of origin

British Isles

Country of origin

Scotland

Language of origin

Gaelic

Religion of origin

Christian

Classification

Celtic
From given name or forename

Related and similar surnames

Farb
Ferbes
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Faerbes
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Farebe
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Fairbe

The Forbes surname in historical dictionaries

(origin: Local) Lands free from military service, called Saor Forba, or free lands. The name of a parish in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

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