John Forbes may refer to:
Arts and Literature
- John Forbes (architect) (1795?–?), British architect
- John Forbes (poet) (1950–1998), Australian poet
- John Forbes (publisher) (died 1665), Scottish music publisher; published first printed secular music in Scotland
Science
- John Forbes (botanist) (1799–1823), English botanist
- John Forbes (physician) (1787–1861), Scottish physician
- John Ripley Forbes (1913–2006), American naturalist and conservationist
Military
- John Forbes (British Army officer) (1707–1759), British General in the French and Indian War
- John Forbes (Portuguese general) (1733–1808), Scottish general in the Portuguese service
- John Forbes (Royal Navy officer) (1714–1796), British Admiral and politician
- John Morrison Forbes (born 1925), British Admiral
Religion
- John Forbes (friar) (1571–1606), Scottish Capuchin friar
- John Forbes (Gaelic scholar) (1818-1863), Scottish minister and Gaelic translator
- John Forbes (died 1634) (c. 1568–1634), Scottish minister exiled by James VI and I
- John Forbes (1593–1648), Scottish theologian; one of the six "Aberdeen doctors"
Politics and Law
- John Forbes (died 1734) (c. 1673–1734), Scottish member of the British Parliament for Inverness-shire, 1715–1722
- John Forbes (Iowa politician) (born 1956), Iowa State Representative
- John Hay Forbes (1776–1854), Scottish judge
- John Murray Forbes (diplomat) (1771–1831), American diplomat
Sports
- John Forbes (cricketer) (born 1931), South African cricketer
- John Forbes (footballer) (1862–1928), Scottish footballer
- John Forbes (sailor) (born 1970), Australian Olympian sailor
Business
- John Forbes and Company, the British firm of John Forbes (1767–1823) and his brother Thomas (†1808), a trading company active in the southeastern United States and India, from 1804 to 1847
- John Murray Forbes (1813–1898), American banker and railroad president
- John Malcolm Forbes (1847–1904), American businessman, yachtsman and horseman