NameCensus.

UK surname

Starbuck

An English occupational surname for someone who worked as a clerk or an officer of the Star Chamber court.

In the 1881 census there were 482 people recorded with the Starbuck surname, ranking it #6,956 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,076, ranked #5,428, up from #6,956 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Kirkby Mallory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, Nottingham and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Starbuck is 1,102 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.2%.

1881 census count

482

Ranked #6,956

Modern count

1,076

2016, ranked #5,428

Peak year

2010

1,102 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Starbuck had 482 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,956 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,076 in 2016, ranked #5,428.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 828 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Starbuck surname distribution map

The map shows where the Starbuck surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Starbuck surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Starbuck over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 303 #7,590
1861 historical 264 #9,385
1881 historical 482 #6,956
1891 historical 566 #6,713
1901 historical 711 #6,206
1911 historical 828 #5,331
1997 modern 1,030 #5,352
1998 modern 1,057 #5,416
1999 modern 1,066 #5,412
2000 modern 1,050 #5,469
2001 modern 1,040 #5,409
2002 modern 1,070 #5,395
2003 modern 1,063 #5,325
2004 modern 1,077 #5,282
2005 modern 1,066 #5,276
2006 modern 1,072 #5,238
2007 modern 1,056 #5,360
2008 modern 1,050 #5,433
2009 modern 1,070 #5,447
2010 modern 1,102 #5,427
2011 modern 1,097 #5,386
2012 modern 1,099 #5,293
2013 modern 1,094 #5,402
2014 modern 1,098 #5,402
2015 modern 1,085 #5,407
2016 modern 1,076 #5,428

Geography

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Where Starbucks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Kirkby Mallory, Ilkeston and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth, Nottingham, Charnwood, Wakefield and Hinckley and Bosworth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Kirkby Mallory Leicestershire
4 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth
2 Nottingham 029 Nottingham
3 Charnwood 002 Charnwood
4 Wakefield 002 Wakefield
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Starbuck

These lists show first names that appear often with the Starbuck surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Starbuck

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Starbuck, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Starbuck surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Starbuck household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Starbuck is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Starbuck is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Starbuck falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Starbuck is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Starbuck, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Starbuck

The surname Starbuck is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "steor" meaning steer or dairy bull, and "bucc" meaning a male deer or buck. The name likely referred to someone who worked with cattle or dairy animals.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Starbuck surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327, where a William Sterbuck is mentioned. Similar spellings such as Sterbuck, Sturbuck, and Sterbucke were common in early records.

The Starbuck name appears in various historical documents over the centuries, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 for Yorkshire, where several Starbuck households are listed. The name is also found in parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries in counties like Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire.

A notable early bearer of the name was Edward Starbuck (c. 1615-1690), an early settler of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. He was born in Derbyshire, England, and emigrated to the American colonies in the 1630s. His descendants played a significant role in the whaling industry on Nantucket.

Another prominent Starbuck was Henry Starbuck (1766-1834), a Quaker minister and philanthropist from Yorkshire, England. He was active in various social causes, including the abolition of slavery and the promotion of education.

In the literary world, the name Starbuck gained fame through the character of Starbuck, the first mate in Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick" (1851). The character's name is thought to have been inspired by the Nantucket whaling family.

Other notable individuals with the Starbuck surname include Charles C. Starbuck (1822-1900), an American politician and lawyer from Ohio, and Sir Walter Starbuck (1878-1958), a British naval officer who served in both World Wars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Starbuck families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Starbuck surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Nottinghamshire leads with 125 Starbucks recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.68x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 125 19.68x
Leicestershire 111 21.25x
Derbyshire 51 6.91x
Lincolnshire 35 4.65x
Middlesex 31 0.66x
Lancashire 28 0.50x
Yorkshire 18 0.39x
Kent 17 1.06x
Staffordshire 16 1.01x
Essex 14 1.51x
Cheshire 10 0.96x
Warwickshire 8 0.67x
Wiltshire 4 0.96x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.67x
Glamorgan 2 0.24x
Surrey 2 0.09x
Sussex 2 0.25x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.35x
Durham 1 0.07x
Hampshire 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.14x
Northumberland 1 0.14x
Shropshire 1 0.25x
Somerset 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harby in Leicestershire leads with 27 Starbucks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2842.11x.

Place Total Index
Harby 27 2842.11x
Kirkby Mallory Earl 21 836.65x
Hickling 17 2125.00x
North Muskham 15 1724.14x
Cropwell Bishop 14 1359.22x
Gravesend 14 102.87x
Basford 13 44.41x
Leicester St Margaret 12 9.42x
Brimington 11 196.43x
Islington London 11 2.41x
Nottingham St Mary 10 6.09x
Claughton With Grange 9 189.87x
Hackney London 9 3.41x
Over Darwen 9 20.15x
Sutton St Edmunds 9 841.12x
Aston 8 2.45x
Hammersmith London 8 6.89x
Leicester St Mary 8 18.95x
Ewerby 7 958.90x
Holwell 7 1627.91x
Holy Trinity 7 6.23x
Langar 7 1014.49x
Maer 7 1111.11x
Bingham 6 222.22x
Boston 6 26.25x
Bramcote 6 495.87x
Hucknall Torkard 6 37.27x
Radford Lenton 6 379.75x
Romford 6 40.82x
Shirland 6 108.70x
Sutton St Mary 6 84.27x
West Derby 6 3.67x
Appleby 5 409.84x
Burton Upon Trent 5 13.44x
Castleford 5 29.41x
Greasley 5 34.89x
Little Eaton 5 326.80x
Long Eaton 5 51.33x
Melton Mowbray 5 53.25x
Normanton 5 80.26x
Stathern 5 574.71x
Toxteth Park 5 2.64x
Barlestone 4 350.88x
Breadsall 4 470.59x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 4.50x
Cropwell Butler 4 459.77x
Hose 4 563.38x
Marlborough St Mary Virgin 4 136.05x
Measham 4 147.60x
Newbold Verdon 4 333.33x
Snenton 4 16.03x
Stanley 4 294.12x
Alford 3 64.24x
Derby St Alkmund 3 13.57x
Everton 3 1.68x
Harston 3 1111.11x
Ilkeston 3 14.51x
Rotherby 3 1153.85x
Roydon 3 218.98x
Balsham 2 122.70x
Beeston 2 27.40x
Brighton 2 1.25x
Bulwell 2 14.48x
Burton Extra 2 21.93x
Normanton 2 14.26x
Nottingham St Peter 2 28.25x
Peldon 2 270.27x
Penarth 2 24.94x
Sheffield 2 1.35x
West Ham 2 0.97x
Wilford 2 111.73x
Dymchurch 1 112.36x
Edmonton 1 2.63x
Leake 1 28.99x
Longbenton 1 3.37x
Nailstone 1 84.03x
Oldham 1 0.55x
Standard Hill 1 66.23x
Waltham On The Wolds 1 104.17x
Wombridge 1 19.88x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Starbuck surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 32
Sarah 25
Elizabeth 21
Ann 11
Emma 11
Martha 9
Alice 8
Annie 8
Ellen 8
Hannah 8
Jane 7
Ada 5
Eliza 5
Selina 5
Fanny 4
Louisa 4
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Florence 3
Ruth 3
Amelia 2
Elizth. 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Mabel 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Angela 1
Arabella 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Ethell 1
Evangeline 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Lillian 1
Livinir 1
Lizzie 1
Lucretia 1
M.A. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Starbuck surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 41
William 31
Thomas 16
George 15
Charles 12
Joseph 12
Samuel 8
Arthur 7
James 7
Richard 6
Alfred 5
Henry 5
Herbert 5
Harry 4
Mark 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Isaac 3
Martin 3
Robert 3
Dan 2
Frederick 2
Jacob 2
Benjamin 1
Earnest 1
Elias 1
Erastus 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Franklin 1
Fredk. 1
Geo 1
Geo. 1
Gerald 1
Harold 1
Hilary 1
Hillery 1
Hugh 1
J.B. 1
Jabez 1
Job 1
Jos. 1
Ogdoos 1
Percy 1
R. 1
Rich 1
Robt. 1
Wm 1

FAQ

Starbuck surname: questions and answers

How common was the Starbuck surname in 1881?

In 1881, 482 people were recorded with the Starbuck surname. That placed it at #6,956 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Starbuck surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,076 in 2016. That gives Starbuck a modern rank of #5,428.

What does the Starbuck surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who worked as a clerk or an officer of the Star Chamber court.

What does the Starbuck map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Starbuck bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.