Starr
A surname that most likely began as a nickname or house-name meaning “star,” though it may also descend from an old personal name.
The #1,158 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,168 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The most common explanation links Starr to Middle English and Old English words for “star” (Middle English sterre, Old English steorra), suggesting either a nickname or a house sign. Some early writers also thought it could come from an older personal name, and one source notes that it may sometimes be local in origin from a place-name form such as De Starre. A less certain alternative is a connection with an old word for “steer,” but the “star” explanation is the usual one.
History
Early surname records show Starr in England by the late medieval period, and the name later appears in forms such as Starrs as well as Starr. Nineteenth-century surname scholars disagreed a little on whether the name was mainly from a sign-name, a personal name, or sometimes a local byname. In modern use it is established in both Britain and the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One old source specifically says Starr could be the same sort of name as a modern given name like Stella: a name inspired by “star.”
From the historical record
“STARNS = Sterns, q.v. STARR (Eng.) i Dweller at the sign of the Star [M.E. sterre, O.E. steorra] 2 = Stare, q.v. STARRS, pi., and genit., of Starr. START (Eng.) Dweller at a Tail or Tongue of Land [O.E. steort] Cp. Stort.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)