2000
#1,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,911
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.01
Uncommon Last name
Starks
A locational surname derived from several places in Scotland, likely referring to someone living near a stork's nesting place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,702 Americans carry the last name Starks. That puts it at #1,767 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Starks 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 Starks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 15,098
Census rank
#1,767
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,797 bearers of the surname Starks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1767th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Starks, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.8%. The next largest groups are White (31.0%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Starks
The surname Starks is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "storc" or "stearc," meaning "strong" or "rigid." It is believed to have first emerged in the regions of Yorkshire and Lancashire in northern England during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Starks can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Starca" and is associated with landowners in the county of Yorkshire.
In the 13th century, the surname Starks was also found in various legal and administrative documents, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Hundred Rolls. These records provide insights into the lives and activities of individuals bearing the name during that time.
The surname Starks has been linked to several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was John Starks, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of York in the 14th century (born around 1320).
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Starks, a distinguished English soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century (born circa 1430). He was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield and is mentioned in historical accounts of the conflict.
In the 16th century, the name Starks was also associated with various places, such as Starks Hill in Somerset and Starks Wood in Hertfordshire. These place names may have derived from individuals bearing the surname who owned or lived in these areas.
During the 17th century, the Starks surname was found among the early settlers in the British colonies in North America. One notable individual was William Starks, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and became a prominent landowner and farmer.
Another notable figure was Robert Starks, a Puritan minister and scholar who lived in Massachusetts in the late 17th century (born around 1650). He was known for his influential sermons and writings on religious topics.
As the surname Starks spread across different regions and countries, various spelling variations emerged, including Starke, Stark, and Starkey. These variations reflect the influence of local dialects and the evolution of the English language over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Starks
Among Census respondents with the surname Starks, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.8%. The next largest groups are White (31.0%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Starks 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 Starks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.8% · 11,641
- White31.0% · 6,137
- Two or more races6.1% · 1,210
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 637
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Starks
Starks 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
#1,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,130
+1,219 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 6.82
Rank movement Down 46 places
2020
#1,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,797
-333 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 6.62
Rank movement Up 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,736 | 18,911 | 7.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,782 | 20,130 | 6.82 | +1,219 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 46 places |
| 2020 | #1,767 | 19,797 | 6.62 | -333 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 15 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 Starks 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 | #1,782 | #1,767 | 0.8% |
| Count | 20,130 | 19,797 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.82 | 6.62 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Starks bearers went from 20,130 to 19,797 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,782 to #1,767.
FAQ
Starks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Starks?
Name Census estimates that about 22,702 living Americans carry the surname Starks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,098 residents.
How common is Starks?
Starks ranks #1,767 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,797 people with the surname Starks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,702), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Starks.
Has Starks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Starks went from 20,130 recorded bearers to 19,797. That is a decrease of 333 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,782 to #1,767.
What does the Census say about the background of Starks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Starks, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.8%. The next largest groups are White (31.0%) and Two or More Races (6.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Starks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.8% (11,641 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Starks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (58.8%), White (31.0%), Two or More Races (6.1%). 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 Starks (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 Starks mean?
A locational surname derived from several places in Scotland, likely referring to someone living near a stork's nesting place. 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 Starks (6.62 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 surname Starks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.