Find out how popular the last name Morningstar is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Morningstar.

Morningstar, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Morningstar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morningstar in America

Morningstar is the 11722nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morningstar surname appeared 2,673 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Morningstar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morningstar to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Morningstar

The surname Morningstar has its origins in the Old English language, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain. It is believed to have derived from the words "morgen" meaning morning and "steorra" meaning star, likely referring to the planet Venus, often described as the morning star due to its visibility in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Morgenstern", a variant spelling. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with professions or trades related to astronomy or astrology. In the 13th century, a scholar named Robert Morningstar was known for his work on astronomical tables and calendars. He lived from around 1210 to 1280.

In the 15th century, a German soldier and mercenary named Jörg Morningstar gained notoriety for his use of a spiked club, known as a "Morgenstern" in German, as a weapon on the battlefield. He was active from around 1430 to 1480.

In the 17teenth century, a Dutch explorer named Willem Morningstar played a significant role in the establishment of the Dutch East Indies, now modern-day Indonesia. He lived from 1592 to 1648.

Another notable figure was Elizabeth Morningstar, an English botanist and herbalist who published several influential works on medicinal plants in the early 18th century. She lived from 1688 to 1752.

During the 19th century, the name appeared in various parts of Europe and North America, with individuals such as the American politician and lawyer John Morningstar, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1855 to 1857.

Over the centuries, the surname Morningstar has been subject to various spelling variations, including Morningstarre, Morningstarr, and Morningsterre, among others, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where it was adopted.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morningstar

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Morningstar.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Morningstar was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Morningstar has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Morningstar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Morningstar, please contact us.

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