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

Starr, 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 Starr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Starr in America

Starr is the 1158th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Starr surname appeared 30,363 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Starr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Starr 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 Starr

The surname Starr has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "steorra," meaning "star." The name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was particularly bright, shining, or radiant.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that include the name Starr or variations of it, such as Sterre and Starre. This suggests that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Starr can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a person named Ralph le Starr is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname indicates that it was a descriptive name at that time.

The name Starr has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was John Starr, who lived from 1628 to 1670 and was an English Puritan minister and author. He was known for his influential writings on theology and his support for the Commonwealth during the English Civil War.

Another notable figure with the surname Starr was Jocelyn Starr, who lived from 1476 to 1538 and was an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as the Keeper of the Privy Seal and was involved in various diplomatic missions.

In the 18th century, Thomas Starr (1728-1808) was a prominent English-born American mathematician and astronomer. He served as a professor at Harvard College and made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

The name Starr has also been associated with places and geographic features. For example, Starr County in Texas was named after James Harper Starr, an American soldier and politician who lived from 1809 to 1890 and served as the Secretary of the Treasury under President James K. Polk.

Other notable individuals with the surname Starr include Belle Starr (1848-1889), an American outlaw and horse thief who operated in the American Old West, and Edwin Starr (1942-2003), an American soul singer best known for his hit song "War."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Starr

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

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

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

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