The forman Surname
forman Name Meaning and History
- English: occupational name for a keeper of swine, Middle English foreman, from Old English for ‘hog’, ‘pig’ + mann ‘man’.
- English: status name for a leader or spokesman for a group, from Old English fore ‘before’, ‘in front’ + mann ‘man’. The word is attested in this sense from the 15th century, but is not used specifically for the leader of a gang of workers before the late 16th century.
- Czech and Jewish (from Bohemia, Moravia): occupational name for a carter, Czech forman, a loanword from German.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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