2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Starts
An occupational surname derived from the term "astert," referring to someone who started or ignited fires.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Starts. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Starts 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Starts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Starts, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Hispanic (10.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Starts
The surname "Starts" originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "steort," which means "tail" or "rump." This name likely referred to a physical characteristic or distinguishing feature of the first person to bear it.
The earliest recorded instance of this surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a person named Radulf Start is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a Richard Stert.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, variations of the name's spelling appeared, such as Stert, Sturt, and Styrt. These variations were likely due to differences in regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of written records during that time.
One notable bearer of this surname was Sir John Stert (c. 1390-1458), a member of the English gentry and a prominent landowner in Oxfordshire. He served as Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in 1426 and 1427.
Another individual of note was William Sturt (c. 1520-1579), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in 1559 and 1563. He was also a Justice of the Peace and a significant landowner in the county.
In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Dorset, where a Richard Starts was baptized in 1634. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Rolls of Devon from 1674 list a John Starts as a taxpayer.
One of the earliest known emigrants to the American colonies bearing this surname was John Starts, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He was one of the early settlers of the colony and likely contributed to the spread of the name in the New World.
Another notable individual was Sir John Starts (1680-1754), an English politician and baronet who served as a Member of Parliament for Thetford from 1710 to 1715. He was also a influential landowner in Norfolk.
While the surname "Starts" is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England and the Old English language. Throughout the centuries, various spellings and variations of the name have emerged, reflecting the linguistic and regional diversity of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Starts
Among Census respondents with the surname Starts, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Hispanic (10.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Starts 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 Starts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.4% · 62
- Black or African American28.2% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 12
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Starts
Starts 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,539 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+10 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,539 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 11,529 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 Starts 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 | #160,975 | #149,446 | 7.2% |
| Count | 100 | 110 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Starts bearers went from 100 to 110 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 11,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #149,446.
FAQ
Starts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Starts?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Starts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Starts?
Starts ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Starts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Starts.
Has Starts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Starts went from 100 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 10 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Starts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Starts, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Hispanic (10.9%). 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 Starts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.4% (62 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Starts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.4%), Black (28.2%), Hispanic (10.9%). 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 Starts (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 Starts mean?
An occupational surname derived from the term "astert," referring to someone who started or ignited fires. 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 Starts (0.04 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 Starts?
Find out how common the surname Starts is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.