Starkey Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Starkey last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Starkey coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Starkey last name
Meaning of the Starkey last name: little stiff one. Starkey is an English surname from Middle English stark, "stiff, strong", with a diminutive ending, a nickname. It is found in Cheshire and Lancashire. The historian David Starkey and the drummer Ringo Starr, born Richard Starkey, carry this last name. The surname spread to America.
Arms associated with the Starkey name
Heraldry associated with the Starkey surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Starkey family history
This is only a glimpse of the Starkey story. The full Starkey history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Starkey coat of arms. Get the full Starkey report.
Starkey name FAQ
What does the Starkey name mean?
Little stiff one. Common variants include Starkie, Starky.
Where does the Starkey surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Starkey coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Starkey coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).