Holding steady.
Popularity of Forney since 1909
Babies named Forney per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 6 |
| 1910s | 45 |
| 1920s | 47 |
| 1930s | 23 |
| 1940s | 6 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Forney is a rare masculine name that first appeared in U.S. Social Security records in 1909, the same year it recorded its peak usage. Since then, the name has essentially disappeared from official data, and it does not appear in the top 1,000 names for any year. The trajectory is stable at near-zero usage. Forney's top states of use are unknown due to its extreme rarity. The name is likely a transferred surname, perhaps from the Irish Gaelic 'ó Foirnéis' (descendant of the furnace worker) or an English habitational name. Its obscurity makes it an unconventional choice, nearly untouched in modern naming.
Forney is likely a variant of the Irish surname Ó Foirnéis or an English habitational name. The Irish form derives from 'foirnéis,' meaning 'furnace,' possibly referring to a worker at a furnace or forge. In England, Forney may come from a place name. Its use as a given name is rare and primarily documented in the United States since the early 20th century.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Forney
Sibling names for Forney
Names that share Forney's style, for a brother or sister.
