The Starke surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,299 people carried this name — #9,813 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 89,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 3,160 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Starke surname

A nickname for a strong person.

A nickname from a bodily trait: “strong”.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (de.wiktionary.org, the German edition) — entry «Starke», by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · translated from German and condensed.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the stark’.

An early record he cites: William Starckeman or Starcman, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Stark, Starke and Starkman.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 714 · public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

77 people named Starke live in Switzerland.

They live in 10 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 21
Basel-Landschaft 14
Bern 8
Thurgau 7
Solothurn 6
Schwyz 6
Basel-Stadt 4
Vaud 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

55 people named Starke have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 74 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 5 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Pomeranian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Pomeranian 19
Lower Silesian 15
Silesian 15
Lubusz 4
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 43 people named Starke live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 32
Neuquén 11

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 42 people named Starke.

8 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Moselle.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 8
Moselle 20
Paris 8
Haut-Rhin 2
Bas-Rhin 1
Yvelines 1
Var 1
Seine-Saint-Denis 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

85 people named Starke is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 85

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Starke in American newspapers,
1845–1903.

Newspaper page from The Port-gibson Correspondent carrying the name Starke
The Port-gibson Correspondent 1845-10-15
Newspaper page from New Orleans Daily Crescent carrying the name Starke
New Orleans Daily Crescent 1859-01-11
Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Starke
The Portland Daily Press 1903-09-28

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 214,247 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Starke in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

38,259 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Starke. The most, 11,017, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 14,368
New South Wales 8,504
Queensland 5,219
South Australia 4,591
Western Australia 3,168
Tasmania 2,066
ACT (Canberra) 273
Northern Territory 57

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Starke.

Who carried it

People named Starke,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Christoph Starke
    Christoph Starke 1684–1744 · writer
  • Heinrich Starke d. 1997 · jurist
  • Werner Starke 1540–1584 · secretary
  • Sarah Starke 1660–1722
  • William Starke 1664–1730
  • Wilhelm Ernst Starke 1692–1764 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Starke,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States919 records

919 records of the Starke name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 362
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 261
  • Other U.S. records 296
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Vincent P. Starke

    Born 1924 in Indiana. Enlisted 1944 at Indianapolis; farmer from Warren County, Ohio. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at St Marys Cemetery, Greensburg, Indiana.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Milton B. Starke

    Born 1907 in Virginia. Enlisted 1941 at Richmond; pressman. U.S. Army veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War; died 1975, buried at City Point National Cemetery, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wilhelmine Starke

    Arrived at New York in 1856 aboard the Amaranth from Bremen, aged 27; servant. From Posen, Germany; bound for Wisconsin.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 919 records for Starke in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Germany1,466 records

1,466 records of the Starke name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 1,463
  • German emigration and citizenship files 3
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Joachim Starke

    Born 1898; from Hildesheim. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 3 October 1918; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 22 February 1919 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 48).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Adolph Friedrich Starke

    Emigrated to North America in 1857.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Auguste Wilhelmine Starke

    Emigrated to Dresden, Saxony in 1869.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)

Showing 3 of 1,466 records for Starke in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Netherlands1,178 records

1,178 records of the Starke name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 984
  • Dutch population registers 154
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 40
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Menso Pieters Starke

    Married in 1842 in Midwolda; farmer. Died 1885 in Groningen, aged 73.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Geert Hinderikus Starke

    Married in 1882 in Assen; pharmacist. Died 1884 in Assen, aged 44.

    Open Archives, Drents Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frederik Hendrik Starke

    Married in 1881 in 's-Gravenhage; florist. Died 1943 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 90.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,178 records for Starke in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia97 records

97 records of the Starke name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 46
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 30
  • Other Australian records 21
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Starke

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the John, sailing from London in 1830. Native of St James, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1857. Married 1857 in Westbury, Tasmania, aged 38.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Nicholas Starke

    Arrived in Queensland in 1866 aboard the Netherby/City of Melbourne, aged 37.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Starke

    Engine driver of Dunolly, Victoria; died 1909.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 97 records for Starke in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada21 records

21 records of the Starke name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 16
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Annie Starke

    Buried in 1970 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 87.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Gwendoline Jennie Loiusa Starke

    Died 1931; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record George Ewing Starke

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 21 records for Starke in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France20 records

20 records of the Starke name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jules Louis Starke

    Born 1911 in Metz; died 1989 in Thionville (Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eve Starke

    Born 1898 in Florange (Moselle); died 1977 in Saint-Cloud (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Emilie Anna Brunhilde Starke

    Born 1927 in Germany; died 1997 in Sausheim (Haut-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Starke in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom14 records

14 records of the Starke name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 12
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Humphy Starke

    Buried in 1835 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 59.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Llewelyn Ravenscroft Starke

    Will proved in 1928; of Laugharne.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Starke

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Starke in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Starke name in Belgium Belgian population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Angelina Starke

    In the population register of Liefferinge; housekeeper, born 1850 in Liefferinge.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcel Denderland (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Starke.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Starke is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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