2000
#15,061
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,797
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Star
An occupational surname for a person who worked as an astronomer, astrologer, or someone who studied the stars.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,589 Americans carry the last name Star. That puts it at #13,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,389 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Star 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Star with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 132,389
Census rank
#13,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,258 bearers of the surname Star in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Star, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Star
The surname STAR is of English origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English word "steorra," which means "star" or "celestial body." This name likely referred to either a person who lived near a specific star-shaped landmark or one who was particularly skilled in astrology or celestial navigation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the STAR surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Richard Sterre. This version of the name, with an additional "e" at the end, was a common spelling variation during that era.
In the 14th century, the STAR surname appeared in various medieval records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which listed a John Sterre. The spelling had not yet been standardized, leading to variations such as Starre, Ster, and Stera.
During the 16th century, the STAR surname became more prevalent and appeared in several notable historical documents. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1524 recorded a William Starr, while the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1558 mentioned a John Starr.
One of the earliest known individuals with the STAR surname was John Star, a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament for Bristol in the late 16th century (c. 1547-1605). Another notable figure was John Starr, a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the New Haven Colony in Connecticut, born around 1585.
In the 17th century, the STAR surname gained further recognition with individuals like Samuel Starr (1594-1669), an English minister and author who published several religious works. Additionally, Comfort Starr (c. 1617-1659) was one of the earliest settlers in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and became a prominent figure in the early colonial history of New England.
The 18th century saw the rise of several notable individuals with the STAR surname, including Ebenezer Starr (1719-1799), a Revolutionary War soldier from Connecticut. Another figure was John Starr (1728-1804), an American silversmith and engraver who worked in Philadelphia and is known for his intricate designs on silverware and other objects.
As the surname spread across different regions, it also became associated with various place names. For example, the village of Starr in Bedfordshire, England, is believed to have derived its name from the STAR surname, reflecting the influence of local families bearing this name in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Star
Among Census respondents with the surname Star, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Star 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 Star surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.7% · 1,507
- Black or African American10.2% · 230
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 161
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.4% · 145
- Two or more races5.0% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.6% · 103
Timeline
Historical Census data for Star
Star appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,097
+300 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 782 places
2020
#13,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,258
+161 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 1,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,061 | 1,797 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,279 | 2,097 | 0.71 | +300 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 782 places |
| 2020 | #13,005 | 2,258 | 0.76 | +161 bearers (+7.7%) | Up 1,274 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 Star 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 | #14,279 | #13,005 | 8.9% |
| Count | 2,097 | 2,258 | 7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.76 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Star bearers went from 2,097 to 2,258 (+7.7% change). The surname moved up 1,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,279 to #13,005.
FAQ
Star surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Star?
Name Census estimates that about 2,589 living Americans carry the surname Star. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,389 residents.
How common is Star?
Star ranks #13,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,258 people with the surname Star. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,589), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Star.
Has Star become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Star went from 2,097 recorded bearers to 2,258. That is an increase of 161 (+7.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,279 to #13,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Star?
Among Census respondents with the surname Star, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (7.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Star in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.7% (1,507 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Star appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.7%), Black (10.2%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Star (2000, 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 Star mean?
An occupational surname for a person who worked as an astronomer, astrologer, or someone who studied the stars. 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 Star (0.76 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 share the surname Star?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.