Explore the Family Name Starr
The meaning of Starr
1. English: from Middle English sterre ‘star’ (Old English steorra), used, like the Old Norse Stjarna, as a nickname, but also occasionally as a personal name. The word was also used in a transferred sense of a patch of white hair on the forehead of a horse, and so perhaps the nickname denoted someone with a streak of white hair. This surname has been established in Ireland since the 17th century. 2. English: in addition, the name may occasionally also have been topographic or habitational, referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a star (see 2 above). Surnames derived from house and inn signs are rare in English. 3. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Star 1 and 3. 4. In some cases also an American shortened and altered form of Slovenian Stare or of some other Slovenian, Croatian, or Serbian surname beginning with Star- ‘old’, such as Slovenian Starc (see Startz 2), Serbian and Croatian Starčević (see Starcevic).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Starr in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Starr modestly declined in ranking from 1135 in 2000 to 1158 in 2010, a decrease of 2.03 percent. However, the count or number of individuals with the Starr surname increased by 7.63 percent from 28,210 in 2000 to 30,363 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a slight dip from 10.46 to 10.29 over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,135 | #1,158 | -2.03% |
| Count | 28,210 | 30,363 | 7.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.46 | 10.29 | -1.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Starr
The ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Starr between 2000 and 2010. There was a significant increase in those identifying as Hispanic (48.60 percent), followed by those identifying with two or more races (35.76 percent). The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black also increased by 20.41 percent and 6.20 percent respectively. In contrast, there was a slight decrease in the proportion of individuals identifying as White (-2.30 percent) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (-2.68 percent) during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.35% | 83.39% | -2.3% |
| Black | 7.74% | 8.22% | 6.2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.98% | 2.9% | -2.68% |
| Hispanic | 1.79% | 2.66% | 48.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.65% | 2.24% | 35.76% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.59% | 20.41% |
Starr ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Starr is British & Irish, which comprises 44.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.6%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (8.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.5% |
| French & German | 23.6% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 8.8% |
| Other | 23.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Starr
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Starr have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 79.70% |
What Starr haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Starr is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-A431 and J-L283, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Richards, Phillips, Jones, Thomas, Hopkins, Price, Morgan, Lewis, Davis, Lloyd.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Starr surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Starr have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Starr" Surname 43.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Starr" Surname 25.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Starr" Surname 24.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Starr" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Starr?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Starr are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition