Forman

Forman is a surname of English origin, typically a variant of Foreman. It derives from the occupational title foreman, the supervisor who oversees workers in a workshop, factory, or construction site. The spelling Forman reflects regional and transliteration variations, and the name is found in English-speaking countries as well as in parts of Central Europe where it has been adopted or adapted.

In its use as a family name, Forman appears across a range of professions and nationalities. A notable bearer is Miloš Forman (Miloš Forman, 1922–2011), the Czech-born American film director whose works One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Amadeus (1984) earned multiple Academy Awards and solidified his international reputation.

The name also appears in institutions and place names. For example, Forman School is a private preparatory school in the United States that specializes in education for students with language-based learning differences. Variants of the surname include Foreman and Forman, reflecting historical spellings and pronunciation shifts in different regions.

Forman is sometimes confused with Foreman, another common spelling with the same occupational origin. In discussions of genealogy or genealogy-based inquiries, Forman typically points to the same ancestral roots as Foreman, with regional distinctions shaping the spelling in a given family line.