Starr
A gender-neutral name derived from the celestial object representing an illuminating body in the night sky.
Name Census estimates that about 8,743 living Americans carry the first name Starr. It is a predominantly female name (96.8% of registrations). The average person named Starr today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Starr births was 1997 (307 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Starr. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Starr is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 324 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
8.7K
~ 1 in 39,203 Americans
Peak year
1997
307 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2005 SSA rank
#2,546
Tracked since 1914
Gender
Gender distribution for Starr
Starr leans heavily female at 96.8% of total registrations, but 324 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Starr as a male name
- Ranked #13,091 in 2005
- 5 male births in 2005
- Peak: 1945 (10 births)
Starr as a female name
- Ranked #2,546 in 2024
- 70 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1997 (302 births)
Popularity
Starr: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Starr from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,604 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Starr by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Starr during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Starrs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 33 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Starr, while New Mexico, District of Columbia, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 165 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Starr
The given name Starr is thought to have originated from the Old English word "steorra," which means "star." This linguistic root can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "sterron" and the Proto-Indo-European word "ster," both of which refer to celestial objects in the night sky.
In ancient times, stars held significant symbolic meaning across various cultures. In Greek mythology, stars were believed to be the souls of heroes and great figures who had ascended to the heavens. The name Starr may have been bestowed upon individuals with a connection to astronomy, navigation, or those who were considered exceptional or remarkable.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Starr can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Sterre," likely referring to a person who studied or had an affinity for the stars.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Starr. One of the most famous was Starr Faithful, an American singer and actress who rose to prominence in the 1920s with her performances on Broadway and in Hollywood films. She was born in 1892 and passed away in 1946.
Another prominent figure was Starr Carter, an English writer and activist who played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in the early 20th century. Born in 1880, she dedicated her life to advocating for equal rights and was instrumental in securing women's right to vote in the United Kingdom.
In the realm of sports, Starr Hoyt was an American baseball player who played for the New York Yankees in the 1960s. He was born in 1938 and had a successful career as a pitcher, winning numerous accolades and championships.
The name Starr also has a notable presence in the field of science and exploration. Starr Muir, born in 1892, was a Scottish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the Antarctic region during her expeditions in the early 20th century.
Additionally, Starr Bright, born in 1914, was an American astronomer who played a crucial role in the development of modern astrophysics. Her groundbreaking research on stellar evolution and the composition of stars earned her numerous honors and awards.
People
Starr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Starr as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Starr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Starr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8,743 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Starr going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 39,203 US residents.
Is Starr a common name?
We classify Starr as "Rare". It ranks above 97.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,100 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Starr most popular?
The single biggest year for Starr was 1997, when 307 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Starr is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Starr a female name?
Yes, 96.8% of people registered as Starr in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.