Forbes is a surname. It derives from the Scottish Clan Forbes (after a toponym, from Gaelic forba "field"[1]). Descendants of the Scottish clan have also been present in Ireland since the 17th century. The name of an unrelated Irish sept, Mac Fhirbhisigh or MacFirbis, was also anglicised as Forbes.[2]

Notable people with the surname Forbes include:

Aristocracy

Artists

Business people

Musicians

Performers and affiliated professions

Politicians

Publishers

Scientists

Sportspeople

Writers

Others

Given name

Forbes as a given name is rare, mostly known due to Forbes Burnham (full name Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham , 1923–1985), leader of Guyana from 1964 until his death.

Forbes McAllister is a fictional character (a "cynical restaurant critic") from Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge (1994).

References

  1. Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary (1912), p. 150.
  2. Michael C. O'Laughlin, The Book of Irish Families, Great & Small, 2002, p. 108.
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