2000
#9,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,066
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Starrett
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of stirrups, spurs, and other horse equipment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,127 Americans carry the last name Starrett. That puts it at #11,107 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,611 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Starrett 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.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,611
Census rank
#11,107
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,727 bearers of the surname Starrett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11107th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Starrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Starrett
Among Census respondents with the surname Starrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Starrett 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 Starrett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,473
- Two or more races4.4% · 120
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 21
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Starrett
Starrett 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
#9,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,293
+227 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 104 places
2020
#11,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,727
-566 bearers (-17.2%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 1,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,729 | 3,066 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,833 | 3,293 | 1.12 | +227 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 104 places |
| 2020 | #11,107 | 2,727 | 0.91 | -566 bearers (-17.2%) | Down 1,274 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 Starrett 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 | #9,833 | #11,107 | -13.0% |
| Count | 3,293 | 2,727 | -17.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 0.91 | -18.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Starrett bearers went from 3,293 to 2,727 (-17.2% change). The surname moved down 1,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,833 to #11,107.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Starrett
FAQ
Starrett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Starrett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,127 living Americans carry the surname Starrett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,611 residents.
How common is Starrett?
Starrett ranks #11,107 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,727 people with the surname Starrett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Starrett.
Has Starrett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Starrett went from 3,293 recorded bearers to 2,727. That is a decrease of 566 (-17.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,833 to #11,107.
What does the Census say about the background of Starrett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Starrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Starrett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,473 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Starrett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Starrett (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 Starrett mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of stirrups, spurs, and other horse equipment. 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 Starrett (0.91 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 common is the surname Starrett?
Want to know how many people have the last name Starrett? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.