Forbes

Meaning of Forbes

Forbes, originally a territorial surname from Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland, derives from a Gaelic term for “field” or “front hill” and served for centuries to identify members of the Clan Forbes. Adopted as a masculine given name, it retains its crisp, monosyllabic clarity and is pronounced uniformly in British and American English as FORBZ (/fɔːbz/, /fɔrbz/). Beyond its noble Scottish lineage, the name carries the cultural resonance of Forbes magazine, lending an understated association with commerce and influence rather than outright celebrity. In the United States, Forbes has never been a common choice—between 2022 and 2024 it appeared just five to eight times annually among newborn boys, hovering near the 900th rank in Social Security data. This pattern of modest fluctuation highlights its appeal for parents seeking a name that is at once rooted in heritage, analytically distinctive and quietly confident.