2000
#3,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,337
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.46
Uncommon Last name
Starling
A surname referring to someone who kept or resembled the bird of the same name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,941 Americans carry the last name Starling. That puts it at #3,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,328 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Starling 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 Starling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,328
Census rank
#3,628
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.5K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,541 bearers of the surname Starling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Starling, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Starling
The surname Starling is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "starling" or "staerling," which refers to the small songbird known as the starling. This name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who resembled the bird in some way, perhaps due to their appearance, behavior, or fondness for the bird.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Starling can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is written as "Starling." This suggests that the name was already established by the 13th century in England.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where it is written as "Starlynge." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Starling include William Starling (c. 1589-1628), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Book of Revelation. Another early figure was Thomas Starling (c. 1617-1667), an English merchant and benefactor who founded a school in Bromley, Kent.
During the 17th century, the name Starling can be found in various parish records and historical documents. One notable example is Robert Starling (1630-1698), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury.
In the 18th century, the surname gained prominence with individuals like Samuel Starling (1740-1805), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Freemasons' Hall.
Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Starling (1767-1826), an English agriculturist and author who wrote extensively on farming practices and was a proponent of the use of modern agricultural machinery.
As the centuries progressed, the Starling surname continued to be found throughout England, with various families and individuals contributing to various fields, including literature, science, and politics.
Overall, the surname Starling has a rich history rooted in the English language and culture, with its origins dating back to the 13th century and numerous individuals bearing the name making significant contributions throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Starling
Among Census respondents with the surname Starling, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Starling 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 Starling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.9% · 6,292
- Black or African American25.0% · 2,389
- Two or more races4.4% · 417
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 330
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Starling
Starling 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
#3,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,004
+667 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 3.39
Rank movement Down 65 places
2020
#3,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,541
-463 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.19
Rank movement Down 61 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,502 | 9,337 | 3.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,567 | 10,004 | 3.39 | +667 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 65 places |
| 2020 | #3,628 | 9,541 | 3.19 | -463 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 61 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 Starling 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 | #3,567 | #3,628 | -1.7% |
| Count | 10,004 | 9,541 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.39 | 3.19 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Starling bearers went from 10,004 to 9,541 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 61 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,567 to #3,628.
FAQ
Starling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Starling?
Name Census estimates that about 10,941 living Americans carry the surname Starling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,328 residents.
How common is Starling?
Starling ranks #3,628 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,541 people with the surname Starling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,941), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Starling.
Has Starling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Starling went from 10,004 recorded bearers to 9,541. That is a decrease of 463 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,567 to #3,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Starling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Starling, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Starling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.9% (6,292 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Starling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.9%), Black (25.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Starling (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 Starling mean?
A surname referring to someone who kept or resembled the bird of the same name. 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 Starling (3.19 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 Americans have the surname Starling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.