Starling
A surname that most likely began as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a starling, though older records also point to early personal-name and place-name forms.
The #3,567 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 30,862 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The most common explanation derives Starling from the bird name, Old English starling, via Middle English sterling/starling, and treats it as a nickname surname. Some 19th-century writers also connected it with the word sterling, and a few suggested it may be a corruption of Stirling or even Easterling, but those are less secure. Older forms such as Starliuc and Starlingus appear in Domesday-era records, showing that the name was in use very early.
History
The surname is recorded in medieval England and appears in Domesday-era material, which suggests deep roots rather than a late nickname formation. Later surname writers sometimes grouped it with other bird-based surnames such as Sparrow or Raven. The spelling has been fairly stable, though related forms like Stare and Sterling sometimes overlap in older discussions and records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Chaucer’s writings were once cited by surname scholars in debates over whether Starling was linked to the bird or to the idea of something being “sterling,” or genuine and of good quality.
From the historical record
“STARKS, Stark's (Son) : v. Stark. STARLING (Eng.) i a nickname from the Starling [M.E. sterling, O.E. starling, m., — star, starling -f- the (double) dim. suff. -ling] 2 V. Sterling. Starling. — Domesday-Book. William Starling. — Hund. Rolls- Cp. Stare.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)