The Starks surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 20,130 people carried this name — #1,782 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 14,700 people counted. That is up 6% from 18,911 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Starks surname

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison explains it as ‘Stark's Son’.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 186 · public domain.

In print

Starks in American newspapers,
1905–1908.

Newspaper page from New-york Tribune carrying the name Starks
New-york Tribune 1905-06-25
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Starks
Evening Star 1905-06-25
Newspaper page from The Advocate carrying the name Starks
The Advocate 1908-04-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Starks in Australian newspapers,
1850s–2000s.

1,389 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Starks. The most, 904, 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 Western Australia, at 7.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 956
South Australia 116
Queensland 101
New South Wales 98
Victoria 97
Tasmania 15
ACT (Canberra) 2

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

Who carried it

People named Starks,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John J. Starks
    John J. Starks 1872–1944 · academic administrator
  • Rickie Cornell Starks d. 2019
  • Ira E. Starks 1841– · politician
  • Edwin Chapin Starks 1867–1932 · zoologist
  • Anthony Starks 1873–1952 · rugby union player
  • Anthony Starks 1873–1952 · rugby union player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Starks,
in the records of 6 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 States1,031 records

1,031 records of the Starks name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 525
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 319
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 94
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 61
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 15
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 10
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 4
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Warner Starks

    Born 1947; from St Louis, Missouri. U.S. Army, field artillery basic; killed in action 1970 in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam. Buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (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 John E. Starks

    Born 1910 in Mississippi. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Shelby; farmer from Leflore County. U.S. Army veteran; died 1996, buried at Holly Grove Cemetery, Philipp, Mississippi.

    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 Adam Starks

    Arrived at New York in 1841 aboard the Formosa from Havre, aged 21; smith. From Wurtemberg, Germany; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 1,031 records for Starks in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia19 records

19 records of the Starks name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 10
  • Tasmanian Names Index 4
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 3
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  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 Richard Starks

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Earl Grey, arriving 1838; certificate of freedom 1849.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ann Starks

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Sabrina, aged 24; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas R. Starks

    Carpenter of Kew, Victoria; died 1951.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Starks in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). 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).

Canada10 records

10 records of the Starks name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 5
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Robert James Starks

    Died 1958; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Timothy Starks

    Died 1930 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  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 Edward Starks

    Died in service in 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 10 records for Starks in Canada.

Counts: 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. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Starks name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Barent Starks

    Buried in 1724 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Hendrik Starks

    In the population register of Venray; born 1880 in Didam.

    Open Archives, Gemeente Venray, gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Cornelis Starks

    Baptised in 1744 in Etten-Leur.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Starks in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Starks name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Starks

    Died 1897, aged 60; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Starks name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Starks

    Listed as returned from captivity in the colonial troops' casualty list of 13 June 1919.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Starks.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Starks 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.

See the Starks volume
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