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Home › Baby Names Directory › Deforest

Deforest

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Deforest

Pronounced duh-FOR-ist /dəˈfɒrɪst/Medium

Meaning: Deforest is a surname turned first name, from the French de la forest, 'of the forest', a locational name for someone who lived by or in woodland. In America it became a given name partly in tribute to Lee de Forest, the pioneering inventor of early radio and sound technology. So Deforest carries a clear 'of the forest' meaning together with an early-twentieth-century flavour of invention and progress.Medium

In 30 seconds: Deforest is a surname-name from French 'of the forest', linked to inventor Lee de Forest, used for American boys early last century (say duh-FOR-ist).
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Origin MediumFrench, American
MeaningDeforest is a surname turned first name, from the French de la forest, 'of the forest', a locational name for someone who lived by or in woodland. In America it became a given name partly in tribute to Lee de Forest, the pioneering inventor of early radio and sound technology. So Deforest carries a clear 'of the forest' meaning together with an early-twentieth-century flavour of invention and progress.
U.S. rank (2001)#10963 ↘ Falling
2001 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 667

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192018812001

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Deforest comes from the French de la forest, 'of the forest', first a surname for those dwelling near woodland. As a first name it rose in early-twentieth-century America, buoyed by the fame of Lee de Forest, whose inventions helped launch radio and sound film. The name thus joins an old woodland meaning to a modern spirit of discovery.

Deforest was always uncommon, drawing only a couple dozen boys a year even at its high around 1920 before fading. A boy named Deforest then belongs to a great-grandfather's generation now. It reads as a distinguished old surname-name with an inventor's shine rather than a nursery favourite, and it is seldom used today.

Did you know? The name gained visibility from Lee de Forest, an inventor sometimes called a father of radio.
Overall data confidence 60%
References - Deforest — Surname-name; French 'de la forest' 'of the forest'; bearer inventor Lee de Forest

Variations

De ForestDeforrestDeforsetDeforest

Nicknames

DeeForrest

Famous Bearers

  • ★Lee de Forest (1873-1961)
    American inventor of the Audion vacuum tube, a key figure in early radio, whose surname inspired the given name.

If you like Deforest…

Forrest— a like woodland surname-name for boys
Emerson— another vintage surname-name of the era
Dewitt— a similar French-derived surname-name
Emory— an old scholarly surname-name of the period

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Deforest mean?

It comes from the French de la forest, 'of the forest', a name for someone who lived by woodland.

How do you pronounce Deforest?

It's said duh-FOR-ist /dəˈfɒrɪst/, three syllables, stress on the middle.

Is Deforest a boy or girl name?

Deforest is used as a boy's name.

Is Deforest a popular name?

No, it has always been rare, a surname-name seen in small numbers in the early twentieth century.

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