2000
#9,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,160
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Starke
A German occupational surname meaning "strong," referring to a person with great physical strength or a forceful personality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,436 Americans carry the last name Starke. That puts it at #10,235 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,754 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Starke 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 Starke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,754
Census rank
#10,235
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,996 bearers of the surname Starke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10235th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Starke, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Starke
The surname Starke has its origins in Germany and dates back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old High German word "starc," which means "strong" or "sturdy." This suggests that the name was likely originally given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a robust or powerful physique.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Starke can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Starke," "Starcke," and "Sterk," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
During the 14th century, the Starke name was associated with several notable individuals. For instance, Hans Starke (c. 1320-1390) was a renowned architect and stonemason who oversaw the construction of several churches and castles in the region of Saxony.
In the 15th century, the Starke family gained prominence in the city of Lübeck, a prominent member of the Hanseatic League. Johann Starke (c. 1425-1489) was a respected merchant and councillor who played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.
The 16th century saw the rise of Martin Starke (1522-1589), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who studied under Martin Luther and was influential in the spread of the Protestant Reformation in northern Germany.
Moving into the 17th century, the name Starke appears in various historical records, including the chronicles of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). One notable figure from this period was General Friedrich Starke (1594-1656), a military commander who fought for the Swedish forces during the conflict.
In the 18th century, the Starke name gained literary prominence with the works of Johann Georg Starke (1721-1785), a German poet and author who wrote several plays and satires that were popular in his time.
As the centuries progressed, the Starke surname continued to be associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and statesmen. However, it is important to note that these historical references are not exhaustive, and the Starke name has likely been borne by numerous other notable individuals throughout its long history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Starke
Among Census respondents with the surname Starke, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Starke 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 Starke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.3% · 2,315
- Black or African American15.1% · 453
- Two or more races3.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Starke
Starke 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
#9,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,299
+139 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 377 places
2020
#10,235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,996
-303 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 422 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,436 | 3,160 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,813 | 3,299 | 1.12 | +139 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 377 places |
| 2020 | #10,235 | 2,996 | 1.00 | -303 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 422 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 Starke 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 | #9,813 | #10,235 | -4.3% |
| Count | 3,299 | 2,996 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.00 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Starke bearers went from 3,299 to 2,996 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 422 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,813 to #10,235.
FAQ
Starke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Starke?
Name Census estimates that about 3,436 living Americans carry the surname Starke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,754 residents.
How common is Starke?
Starke ranks #10,235 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,996 people with the surname Starke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Starke.
Has Starke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Starke went from 3,299 recorded bearers to 2,996. That is a decrease of 303 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,813 to #10,235.
What does the Census say about the background of Starke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Starke, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Starke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.3% (2,315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Starke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.3%), Black (15.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Starke (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 Starke mean?
A German occupational surname meaning "strong," referring to a person with great physical strength or a forceful personality. 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 Starke (1.00 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 Starke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.