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

Starkey, 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 Starkey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Starkey in America

Starkey is the 2415th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Starkey surname appeared 15,004 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Starkey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Starkey 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 Starkey

The surname Starkey is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "stær-cæg" or "starkey," meaning "starkey" or "stern challenger." The name first emerged in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire, during the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, which mentions a John Starkye. The Starkey surname also appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, referencing a William Starkey.

The Starkey family held significant influence in the county of Cheshire during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Sir Humphrey Starkey (c. 1496-1548) was a prominent figure and author who served as the Chief Justice of the County Palatine of Chester under Henry VIII.

Another notable individual with the Starkey surname was Thomas Starkey (1499-1538), an English philosopher and humanist scholar who wrote influential works on political theory and education. He was a contemporary of Sir Thomas More and was executed for his alleged involvement in the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion.

In the 17th century, the Starkey family established themselves in the West Midlands region of England. John Starkey (1627-1665) was a renowned nonconformist minister and author who played a significant role in the Puritan movement.

The Starkey name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Starkey's Farm in Lancashire and Starkey's Lane in Cheshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating the presence of Starkey families in those areas.

Other notable individuals bearing the Starkey surname include:

1. Geoffrey Starkey (1936-2022), an English historian and author known for his works on Tudor England.
2. David Starkey (born 1945), a prominent English constitutional historian and television presenter.
3. Martin Starkey (born 1962), an English film director and screenwriter.
4. Sir Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr (born 1940), the legendary drummer of the Beatles.
5. Edmund Starkey (1519-1587), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Bangor.

The Starkey surname has a rich history rooted in the northern counties of England, with connections to influential figures in various fields, including law, literature, religion, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Starkey

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

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 Starkey 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 Starkey 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 Starkey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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