NameCensus.

UK surname

Starns

A surname referring to a person from any of several places called Starn or Sterne.

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Starns surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, up from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes and Clare. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, Babergh and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Starns is 180 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 177.8%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2000

180 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Starns had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 102 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Starns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Starns surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Starns 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 34 #27,194
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 66 #28,541
1901 historical 76 #25,734
1911 historical 102 #22,465
1997 modern 175 #19,161
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 175 #19,798
2000 modern 180 #19,425
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 168 #20,171
2004 modern 164 #20,609
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 163 #20,789
2007 modern 149 #22,318
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 146 #23,352
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 155 #23,333
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Starns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes, Clare and Willesden. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, Babergh, Havering and Liverpool. 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 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Clare Suffolk
4 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 009 Thurrock
2 Babergh 002 Babergh
3 Havering 009 Havering
4 Thurrock 012 Thurrock
5 Liverpool 002 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Starns

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Starns

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Starns, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Starns surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Starns household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Starns 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

Starns is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Starns falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Starns is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Starns

The surname STARNS is of English origin, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "stærn," meaning "stern" or "strict." This could suggest that the name was originally given as a nickname to someone with a stern or severe demeanor.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1273, when a John Sterne was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire. The Hundred Rolls were a series of inquisitions conducted in England between 1274 and 1275, which recorded landholders and their holdings.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Sterne," "Stirne," and "Starne." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. One notable individual from this period was William Sterne, a member of the Parliament of England in 1377.

The name STARNS gained more widespread recognition in the 16th and 17th centuries. During this time, the spelling began to standardize, and the name was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the STARNS spelling can be found in the 1581 baptismal records of St. Botolph's Church in Lincolnshire, where a child named Robert Starns was baptized.

In the 17th century, the name STARNS appeared in the records of the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia. John Starns, born in 1620, was among the early settlers of the colony.

Among the notable individuals with the surname STARNS throughout history are:

1. Richard Starns (1592-1669), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Cold Norton in Essex. 2. Thomas Starns (1676-1743), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the early 18th century. 3. Elizabeth Starns (1709-1792), an English writer and educator who established a school for girls in London. 4. William Starns (1770-1856), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Hastings from 1820 to 1832. 5. John Starns (1802-1879), an American lawyer and politician who served as a judge in Illinois and was involved in the establishment of the Republican Party.

While the name STARNS has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by emigrants and descendants of those bearing the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Starns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Starns 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. Middlesex leads with 21 Starns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.99x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 21 3.99x
Suffolk 13 20.26x
Lancashire 6 0.96x
Sussex 6 6.76x
Northamptonshire 5 10.09x
Essex 2 1.92x
Norfolk 1 1.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clare in Suffolk leads with 7 Starns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2258.06x.

Place Total Index
Clare 7 2258.06x
Kensington London 7 23.91x
Haverhill 6 1052.63x
Oldham 6 29.75x
Shoreditch London 6 26.28x
Spitalfields London 6 151.52x
Brighton 5 27.90x
Peterborough 5 139.28x
South Ockendon 2 909.09x
St Marylebone London 2 7.11x
Outwell 1 625.00x
Playden 1 2000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Avarina 2
Eliza 2
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Georgiana 1
Georgina 1
Leah 1
Maria 1
Mariain 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 3
Joseph 3
George 2
Harry 2
James 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Ezeckiel 1
Henry 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Stephen 1
Thos.C. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Starns households.

FAQ

Starns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Starns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Starns surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Starns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Starns a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Starns surname mean?

A surname referring to a person from any of several places called Starn or Sterne.

What does the Starns map show?

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