Starry last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Starry

A surname derived from nature, referring to a celestial or starry appearance.

Starry, 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 Starry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Starry in America

Starry is the 28380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Starry surname appeared 841 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Starry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Starry 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 28380 25926 9.04%
Count 841 890 -5.66%
Proportion per 100k 0.29 0.33 -12.90%

The history of the last name Starry

The surname Starry is believed to have its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "sterre," which means "star." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a star-shaped landmark or perhaps had a distinctive star-shaped birthmark.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Starry can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mention a person named Roger Starry. Another early reference is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1214, where a William Starry is listed.

In the 13th century, the name appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire and Bedfordshire, with occasional instances in neighboring regions. Some variations in spelling included Sterry, Sterrie, and Sterri, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling during that period.

One notable bearer of the Starry name was Sir John Starry, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. Records show that he was born in 1342 and held lands in Lincolnshire.

During the 16th century, the Starry surname began to appear in parish records and other documents across a wider area of England. A notable example is Thomas Starry, a merchant and alderman who lived in London from 1520 to 1589.

In the 17th century, the name Starry was found in various parts of England, with some bearers migrating to the American colonies. One such individual was William Starry, who was born in Hampshire in 1628 and later settled in Virginia.

Another significant figure with the Starry surname was Sir Edward Starry, an English politician and lawyer who lived from 1655 to 1732. He served as a member of Parliament and was also appointed as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas.

As the centuries progressed, the Starry name continued to be found throughout England, with some families establishing themselves in various regions and contributing to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of their communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Starry

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

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 Starry was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.77% 797
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.07% 9
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.38% 20
Hispanic Origin 1.07% 9

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 Starry has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.77% 96.29% -1.59%
Black 1.07% 0.56% 62.58%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.38% 1.12% 72.00%
Hispanic 1.07% 1.46% -30.83%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Starry last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 31, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/starry-surname-popularity/.

"Starry last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/starry-surname-popularity/. Accessed 31 May, 2025

Starry last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/starry-surname-popularity/.

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