NameCensus.

UK surname

Starnes

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "stern" or "severe," likely referring to a stern-looking landscape.

In the 1881 census there were 96 people recorded with the Starnes surname, ranking it #20,248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 258, ranked #16,449, up from #20,248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Laughton, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Wratting, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Mid Sussex and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Starnes is 278 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 168.8%.

1881 census count

96

Ranked #20,248

Modern count

258

2016, ranked #16,449

Peak year

2000

278 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Starnes had 96 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 258 in 2016, ranked #16,449.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 254 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Starnes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Starnes surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Starnes 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 96 #20,248
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 241 #13,417
1911 historical 254 #12,748
1997 modern 274 #14,374
1998 modern 254 #15,508
1999 modern 258 #15,467
2000 modern 278 #14,659
2001 modern 266 #14,878
2002 modern 269 #15,044
2003 modern 256 #15,377
2004 modern 256 #15,453
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 245 #16,134
2008 modern 242 #16,432
2009 modern 247 #16,549
2010 modern 245 #17,013
2011 modern 250 #16,637
2012 modern 249 #16,572
2013 modern 251 #16,734
2014 modern 260 #16,470
2015 modern 261 #16,318
2016 modern 258 #16,449

Geography

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Where Starnes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Laughton, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Wratting, Great, London parishes and Haverhill, Little Wratting. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Mid Sussex, West Dorset and Hertsmere. 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 Laughton Sussex
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 Wratting, Great Suffolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 Haverhill, Little Wratting Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 013 Wealden
2 Wealden 009 Wealden
3 Mid Sussex 014 Mid Sussex
4 West Dorset 002 West Dorset
5 Hertsmere 006 Hertsmere

Forenames

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First names often paired with Starnes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Starnes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Starnes, 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 Starnes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Starnes 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, Starnes 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

Starnes is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Starnes falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Starnes 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 Starnes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Starnes

The surname Starnes is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "stær," meaning a starling or small bird. It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who had a resemblance to or an affinity with starlings.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Starnling" in Berkshire. This suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Starne" in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire. Other early spellings include "Sterne" and "Sterneling," which are found in various medieval records from different parts of England.

One notable bearer of the surname was Sir William Starnes (c. 1450-1521), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII.

Another historical figure with the name was John Starnes (1565-1626), a clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1617 until his death.

In the 17th century, the name appeared as "Starns" in the parish records of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, where Robert Starns and his wife Elizabeth were listed as having a son named John in 1653.

During the 18th century, the spelling "Starnes" became more prevalent, as evidenced by the birth of Thomas Starnes in 1712 in Gloucestershire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Starnes surname in America can be found in the Virginia colonial records, where a John Starnes is mentioned as a landowner in Henrico County in 1679.

In the 19th century, notable bearers of the surname included William Starnes (1810-1876), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio, and James Starnes (1845-1911), a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War who later became a farmer and state legislator in North Carolina.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Starnes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Starnes 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. Sussex leads with 30 Starnes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.00x.

County Total Index
Sussex 30 19.00x
Middlesex 23 2.46x
Essex 13 7.03x
Surrey 12 2.63x
Suffolk 9 7.89x
Norfolk 4 2.78x
Kent 3 0.94x
Bedfordshire 1 2.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 8 Starnes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.80x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 8 9.80x
Newhaven 8 625.00x
Great Wratting 7 5384.62x
Harmondsworth 7 1206.90x
Laughton 7 3043.48x
Framfield 6 1224.49x
Hastings St Mary 6 152.67x
Colchester St Giles 5 273.22x
Ratcliffe London 5 96.71x
Fersfield 4 4444.44x
Islington London 4 4.41x
Leyton 4 125.79x
Bethnal Green London 2 4.92x
Great Cornard 2 769.23x
Harlington 2 408.16x
Maidstone 2 21.01x
Newington 2 5.78x
Bedford St Mary 1 80.00x
Brighton 1 3.14x
Camberwell 1 1.67x
Chelmsford 1 31.55x
Croydon 1 3.95x
Eastbourne 1 13.77x
Gainsborough 1 28.33x
Great Chishall 1 769.23x
Hackney London 1 1.91x
Herstmonceaux 1 212.77x
Linton 1 357.14x
Norwood 1 46.73x
Southminster 1 243.90x
St George Hanover 1 8.18x
Stifford 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 4
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Jessie 2
Alice 1
Amarie 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Elsie 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Harriott 1
Lois 1
Maryann 1
Maude 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
Frederick 4
George 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
John 3
Robert 3
Henry 2
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Ernes 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Harrold 1
Harry 1
James 1
Jno.Sampson 1
Percy 1
Richd. 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1
Timothy 1

FAQ

Starnes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Starnes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 96 people were recorded with the Starnes surname. That placed it at #20,248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Starnes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 258 in 2016. That gives Starnes a modern rank of #16,449.

What does the Starnes surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "stern" or "severe," likely referring to a stern-looking landscape.

What does the Starnes map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Starnes 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.