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The ancestors of the Starrs family lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Starrs was a name given to a person whose personality or appearance called to mind a star. Starrs is a nickname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Starrs comes from the Old English words sterre, or starre, which mean star, and would have been given to someone with a bright personality. This word was also used to refer to a white patch of hair on the forehead of a horse, an so, it may have been transferred to refer to someone with a streak of white hair.
The surname Starrs was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from ancient times in the village of Longbridge Deverill at Glastonbury. It is said that King Alfred, King of the west Saxons, camped the night in the Deverill valley before defeating the Danes at the Battle of Ethandune in 878.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Starrs research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1629, 1633, 1637 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Starrs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Starrs has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Starrs have been found, including Starr, Star, Starre, Ster, Sterr and others.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Starrs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Starrss to arrive on North American shores: