At a Glance: Name: Starling – Meaning: chattering, sociable person (nickname from the flocking starling bird) – Origin: English (surname, from a nickname) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: STAR-ling
Starling is an English (surname, from a nickname) boy's name meaning “chattering, sociable person (nickname from the flocking starling bird)”. It appears in 5 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Starling
Meaning: Chattering, sociable person (nickname from the flocking starling bird).
Origin: English (surname, from a nickname).
A common claim: Means "star-like bird" Actually: 'Starling' and 'star' aren't etymologically related despite the resemblance — the bird-word comes from Old English stær plus -ling, a different root from steorra ('star'). As a name, it ties to a nickname for a sociable, chattering person.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Starling
Phonetic: STAR-ling IPA: /ˈstɑːrlɪŋ/
Popularity of Starling
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
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Similar Names
Sparrow · Fox · Lark · Wolf · Robin · Bear
