2000
#8,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,552
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Starcher
An occupational surname for someone who starches linen or manufactures starch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,004 Americans carry the last name Starcher. That puts it at #8,990 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Starcher 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
4.0K
1 in 85,603
Census rank
#8,990
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,492 bearers of the surname Starcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8990th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Starcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Starcher
The surname Starcher is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the county of Staffordshire, England, where the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found.
One of the earliest known references to the name Starcher comes from the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. This ancient manuscript mentions a family bearing a similar-sounding name, suggesting that the modern spelling of Starcher evolved from an earlier form.
The name Starcher is thought to be derived from the Old English word "stær," meaning "starling" or "starer," possibly referring to an individual's occupation or physical characteristic. It may have been initially used as a descriptive surname, given to someone who worked with starlings or had a distinctive staring gaze.
In the 13th century, a man named William Starcher was recorded as a landowner in the village of Stafford, Staffordshire. This early reference provides evidence of the name's establishment in the region during that time period.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the surname Starcher was John Starcher, born in 1412 in the village of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. He was a prosperous farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations.
During the 16th century, the name Starcher appeared in various records across Staffordshire and neighboring counties. Notable individuals included Thomas Starcher (1523-1589), a wealthy merchant from Lichfield, and Mary Starcher (1547-1621), who was involved in a legal dispute over property rights in the village of Tamworth.
In the 17th century, the Starcher family spread to other parts of England, with some members settling in London and the surrounding areas. One notable figure from this period was Robert Starcher (1639-1712), a renowned clockmaker whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility.
As the centuries progressed, the Starcher surname continued to be found across England, with families establishing themselves in various professions and trades. Some notable individuals include:
1. William Starcher (1756-1832), a prominent banker and philanthropist from Bristol.
2. Elizabeth Starcher (1802-1879), an accomplished writer and poet from Yorkshire.
3. James Starcher (1845-1923), a renowned architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Manchester.
4. Henry Starcher (1867-1942), a pioneering engineer who contributed significantly to the development of early steam engines.
5. Margaret Starcher (1892-1976), a celebrated actress and theater performer who graced the stages of London's West End.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Starcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Starcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Starcher 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 Starcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 3,273
- Two or more races3.1% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- Black or African American0.7% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Starcher
Starcher 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
#8,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,657
+105 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 412 places
2020
#8,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,492
-165 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,539 | 3,552 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,951 | 3,657 | 1.24 | +105 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 412 places |
| 2020 | #8,990 | 3,492 | 1.17 | -165 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 39 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 Starcher 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 | #8,951 | #8,990 | -0.4% |
| Count | 3,657 | 3,492 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.17 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Starcher bearers went from 3,657 to 3,492 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,951 to #8,990.
FAQ
Starcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Starcher?
Name Census estimates that about 4,004 living Americans carry the surname Starcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,603 residents.
How common is Starcher?
Starcher ranks #8,990 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,492 people with the surname Starcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Starcher.
Has Starcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Starcher went from 3,657 recorded bearers to 3,492. That is a decrease of 165 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,951 to #8,990.
What does the Census say about the background of Starcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Starcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Starcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (3,273 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Starcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Starcher (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 Starcher mean?
An occupational surname for someone who starches linen or manufactures starch. 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 Starcher (1.17 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 Starcher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.