Holding steady.
Popularity of Forrestine since 1916
Babies named Forrestine per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1951, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Forrestine's real moment was 1938.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 15 |
| 1920s | 13 |
| 1930s | 26 |
| 1940s | 31 |
| 1950s | 43 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Forrestine is an unusual feminine name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1916. It reached its highest usage in 1938, with a peak ranking of 4,088 that year, suggesting it was a rare but recognized choice during the 1930s. Since then, the name has steadily declined and has not been recorded in recent decades, with no babies given the name in 2025 according to Social Security data. The name has no strong regional ties, as it appeared sporadically across the country. Forrestine can be seen as part of the early 20th-century trend of elaborate feminine forms of established names, similar to Geraldine or Christine, but it never achieved the same level of familiarity.
Forrestine appears to be a modern elaboration of the English surname and given name Forrest, which derives from Old French 'forest' meaning 'forest' or 'woodland'. The addition of the feminine suffix '-ine' was a common practice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to create ornate female given names. The name saw modest use in the United States, particularly in the 1930s, but never achieved widespread popularity.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Forrie, Tina, Essie
Variants: Forestine, Forresteene
Sibling names for Forrestine
Names that share Forrestine's style, for a brother or sister.
