2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Redstar
A surname likely referring to a person with red hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Redstar. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Redstar surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Redstar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Redstar, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Redstar
The surname REDSTAR has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "read" (meaning red) and "stær" (meaning star), suggesting a possible connection to a distinctive physical characteristic or a place name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, which mention a Walter Redstar. This document provides valuable insight into the early usage of the surname.
During the medieval period, the name REDSTAR appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a John Redstar was listed as a landowner in the village of Swaffham Bulbeck.
The REDSTAR surname may also have been derived from certain place names, such as Redstar Hill in Worcestershire or Redstar Farm in Somerset. These locations likely had some connection to the name's origins, either through association with a particular family or as a descriptive term for the area's features.
Notable individuals bearing the REDSTAR surname throughout history include:
1. William REDSTAR (c. 1420 - 1492), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, known for his involvement in the wool trade and his philanthropic endeavors.
2. Elizabeth REDSTAR (1567 - 1638), an English poet and playwright whose works were celebrated during the Elizabethan era.
3. Richard REDSTAR (1692 - 1768), a renowned clockmaker from London, renowned for his intricate and masterful timepieces.
4. James REDSTAR (1810 - 1884), a British explorer and naturalist who documented numerous plant and animal species during his expeditions to South America.
5. Alice REDSTAR (1892 - 1972), a renowned suffragette and activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement in the early 20th century.
While the REDSTAR surname may have evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to England's medieval era, reflecting the rich tapestry of British history and the diverse influences that have shaped its linguistic and cultural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Redstar
Among Census respondents with the surname Redstar, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Redstar bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Redstar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native85.5% · 94
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- White2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Redstar
Redstar appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-14 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,853 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 13,853 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Redstar surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #149,446 | -10.2% |
| Count | 124 | 110 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Redstar bearers went from 124 to 110 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 13,853 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #149,446.
FAQ
Redstar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Redstar?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Redstar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Redstar?
Redstar ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Redstar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Redstar.
Has Redstar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Redstar went from 124 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Redstar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Redstar, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Redstar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Redstar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (85.5%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Hispanic (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Redstar (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Redstar mean?
A surname likely referring to a person with red hair or complexion. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Redstar (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Redstar?
Want to know how many people have the surname Redstar? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.