Starr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Starr

What does the name Starr mean?

Starr is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name. It was a name given to a person who was a person whose personality or appearance called to mind a star. Starr is a nickname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Starr comes from the Old English words sterre, or starre, which mean star, and would have been given to someone with a bright personality. This word was also used to refer to a white patch of hair on the forehead of a horse, an so, it may have been transferred to refer to someone with a streak of white hair.

Early Origins of the Starr family

The surname Starr was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from ancient times in the village of Longbridge Deverill at Glastonbury. It is said that King Alfred, King of the west Saxons, camped the night in the Deverill valley before defeating the Danes at the Battle of Ethandune in 878.

By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Leuenot Sterre held lands in Derbyshire. 1 Later in Norfolk, we found Simon Sterre in the Pipe Rolls of 1130 and later again, William Sturre, Sterre was listed in the Assize Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1221. 2

Early History of the Starr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Starr research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1629, 1633, 1637 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Starr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Starr Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Starr has appeared include Starr, Star, Starre, Ster, Sterr, Starmer and others.

Early Notables of the Starr family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Starr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Starr Ranking

In the United States, the name Starr is the 1,116^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Starr family to Ireland

Some of the Starr family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Starr migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Starr arrived in North America very early:

Starr Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Comfort and Mary Starr, who settled in Massachusetts in 1634
Comfort Starr, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1635 4
Thomas Starr, his wife Susan and child, who landed in America in 1637
Thomas Starr, who arrived in America in 1637 4
Thomas Starr, who landed in New England in 1637 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Starr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Starr, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 4
Johanes Starr, aged 38, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 4
John Starr, who arrived in Ohio in 1798 4

Starr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patk Starr, who landed in America in 1805 4
James Starr, who landed in America in 1805 4
Jeremiah Starr, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 4
S Starr, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
H W Starr, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Starr migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Starr Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. George Starr U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 5

Starr Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Starr, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1826
Jesse Starr, who arrived in Canada in 1830
Alexander Starr, who arrived in Canada in 1833
Mr. Thomas Starr, aged 70 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Jessie" departing 25th June 1847 from Limerick, Ireland; the ship arrived on 9th August 1847 but he died on board 6

Starr migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Starr Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Peter Starr, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Dauntless" in 1840 7
Peter Starr, aged 20, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 8
William Starr, aged 17, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 8
Samuel Starr, aged 45, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 8

Starr migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Starr Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. J. Starr, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 9
Mrs. Starr, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 9
Miss Elizabeth Starr, (b. 1842), aged 20, British general servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 9
Miss Elizabeth Starr, (b. 1851), aged 20, English general servant from Wiltshire, England, travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship 'Merope' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th August 1871 9
Charles Starr, aged 39, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Starr (post 1700) +

Ringo Starr (b. 1940), born Richard Parkin Starkey, English musician, singer-songwriter, best known as the drummer for The Beatles
Kenneth Winston "Ken" Starr (1946-2022), American lawyer best known for heading an investigation of members of the Clinton administration, known as the Whitewater controversy, from 1994 to 1998
Kay Starr (1922-2016), born Katherine Laverne Starks, an American pop and jazz singer, known for her hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"
Kevin Starr (1940-2017), American historian and librarian, best known for his series of books named "Americans and the California Dream"
Leonard Starr (1925-2015), American cartoonist, comic book artist, best known for creating the newspaper comic strip On Stage and reviving Little Orphan Annie
Blaze Starr (1932-2015), born Fannie Belle Fleming, an American stripper and burlesque comedienne, known for her affair with Louisiana Governor Earl Kemp Long, inspiration of the 1989 film Blaze
Albert Starr (b. 1926), American cardiovascular surgeon, co-winner of the 2007 Lasker Award for clinical research
James Harper Starr (1809-1890), American civil servant, who was a Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas
Mike Starr (b. 1950), American actor
Paul Starr (b. 1949), American writer and historian, who won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Starr family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Edmund Starr (d. 1914), British Greaser from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 10

Triangle Waist Company

Mrs. Annie Starr (b. 1881), Russian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 11

The Starr Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vive en espoir
Motto Translation: Live in hope

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 96)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DAUNTLESS 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Dauntless.htm
South Australian Register Monday 1st January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Star Queen 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/starqueen1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire