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

Starrett, 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 Starrett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Starrett in America

Starrett is the 9833rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Starrett surname appeared 3,293 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Starrett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Starrett 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 Starrett

The surname Starrett has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "stærræt," which translates to "starling" or a small bird. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who shared characteristics with the starling bird, such as being small, agile, or noisy.

In the early days, the name appeared in various spellings, including Staret, Starett, and Starret, reflecting the regional dialects and inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, where it is mentioned as "William Staret."

The Starrett surname has its roots in the county of Lincolnshire, particularly in the village of Stamford. This area was known for its thriving textile industry, and it is possible that some early bearers of the name were associated with the trade or production of starling-colored fabrics.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in records related to land ownership and taxation. For instance, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a "Roger Staret" from the county of Bedfordshire, indicating the spread of the name across various regions of England.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Starrett surname. One prominent figure was John Starrett (1720-1788), an American soldier who fought in the French and Indian War and later served as a captain during the American Revolutionary War. Another notable bearer of the name was William Starrett (1809-1888), a Scottish-born industrialist who founded the Starrett Tool Company in the United States, which became renowned for its precision tools and measuring instruments.

Other historical figures with the Starrett surname include:

1. Thomas Starrett (1656-1718), an English merchant and politician who served as Mayor of Bristol in 1707.
2. Mary Starrett (1790-1873), an American writer and poet known for her contributions to early feminist literature.
3. John Starrett (1825-1909), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Old Vic Theatre.
4. William Starrett (1877-1963), an American architect and engineer who designed numerous skyscrapers in New York City, including the Empire State Building.
5. Helen Starrett (1899-1975), an American educator and advocate for early childhood education, who served as the President of the National Association for Nursery Education.

While the Starrett surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly due to migration and the English diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the county of Lincolnshire, where it first emerged as a nickname for those associated with the starling bird or related occupations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Starrett

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!