Meaning & Origin
A surname.
Forest is a boy's and girl's baby name of Old French origin, from the Old French forest meaning 'wooded area' — from the Latin forestem silvam (the outside woodland). As a given name, it evokes the natural world: tall trees, dappled light, and the quiet majesty of ancient woodland.
Forest sits alongside River, Lake, and Heath in the nature name tradition. It differs from the more common Forrest (the double-R spelling used for Forrest Gump) in offering a cleaner, simpler written form. For parents drawn to names that connect their child to the natural world, Forest has a serene, old-growth depth.