There are two origins for this name, the first and, most likely being job descriptive for the 'head man of the pig farm' from Olde English 'for' meaning pig and 'man(n)' - servant or worker. The second possibly is locational, 'the dweller or worker at the ford', ie. the ford-man. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alan Forman. which was dated 1301, in the Yorkshire Pipe Rolls. during the reign of King Edward 1 known as the Hammer of the Scots, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.