Surname Forme - Meaning and Origin

Forme: What does the surname Forme mean?

The surname Forme can be traced back to the 12th century in England. It is believed that the name is derived from the Old Norman French word "formette", which meant "little beauty". Thus, the original meaning of the name Forme was most likely "beautiful".

The Forme name can be found in historical documents from the 1200s, and often appears on tax and land documents. The first recorded spelling of Forme is from 1221 in the Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire. During the Middle Ages, the spelling of the surname Forme varied widely, appearing as Forme, Fore, Form, Forre, and Formes.

The name Forme later spread beyond England, to continental Europe. Today, the name is most commonly found in France, Belgium, Italy, and in many former French-colonies. In the United States, Forme is mostly seen in Louisiana, as many families of French descent settled there.

Variations of Forme are also seen across the Spanish-speaking world, most likely stemming from its similarity to the Spanish surname Formiga. This likely happened because many formers slaves adopted the surname during American Colonial times, with Formiga being an easier pronunciation for them.

The modern surname Forme is rare, but it still has its fair share of notable people who carry the surname, such as French artist Paul Forme and French pianist Rémy Forme.

Forme: Where does the name Forme come from?

The surname Forme is most commonly found in England, particularly in the southeast. It is thought to be derived from the Old French given name "Fouere” or “Foree.” It is also an uncommonly found surname in the United States. It is likely due to the fact that the surname was not widely brought to the United States during the large-scale European immigration of the 19th and 20th centuries. Some locations in which this surname can be commonly found include London; Yorkshire, and parts of Devon, and Devon in England.

The origins of the Forme surname are likely to have been from a French place-name, which in turn derived from the Latin "forma," meaning “heap” or “bank.” This suggests that it was taken on by families who had originally been made up of those who lived on a heap or in a particular bank of a landscape, such as a a hill or a marsh area. It is thought that the surname was also taken on by families who lived on a borderland between two different countries and/or regions, such as those between England and Wales.

The surname Forme is still found widely in England, with many examples of its spelling having remained intact over time, including Form, Forme, Fourme and Foure. Examples of its current bearers can be found in records dating from the 1600s in areas such as Suffolk, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and other parts of England.

Variations of the surname Forme

The surname Forme is of French origin and is an occupational surname for a maker of leather goods, likely boots or shoes. Historically, it was also the surname of individuals who made products from leather. The French spelling of the name is "Forme", but it has several other variants in other languages.

In Italian it is spelt "Formi", in Spanish "Formo", and in Portuguese "Formos". The surname Forme can also be found spelled as Formes, Formain, Formais, Formaye, Formee, Formey, Formier, Formon, Formont, and Formot.

In the United States, the spelling of Forme can also be found as Forma, Formo, Formos, Formosa, and, in Spanish-speaking countries, as Formal. Additionally, there are several nicknames and variants derived from Forme, such as Formar, Formers, Formey, Formin, Formina, and Formolet.

The surname Forme is also related to similar surnames, such as Formy, Formato, Formatis, Formal, Formalg, Formalita, and Formaletti. Similarly, Formin is related to Formine, Formines, Formini, and Forminio. Although all these surnames originated from the same source as Forme, they may have developed separately over time.

Famous people with the name Forme

• Josh Forme: American soccer player and advocate for LGBT rights
• Jens Forme: Danish singer and songwriter
• John Forme: English poet of the 15th century
• Guy Forme: French painter
• David Forme: Officers’ Training Corps and a platoon commander in World War II
• Colleen Forme: American television host
• Gloria Forme: American R&B singer and songwriter
• Irene Forme: Canadian Olympic swimmer
• Lydia Forme: Swedish teenage pop singer
• Beatrice Forme: British textile artist

Other surnames

FormanFormanek