In Croatia, Starešec families are Croats (from Vrbovec area ). In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Vrbovec area and in Bjelovar.
Prevalence
About 20 people with faimily name Starešec live in Croatia today, in 8 households. There were 10 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number doubled. They are located in only five naselja i to in Podjales (10) and Repinec (<10) in Vrbovec area, Krizevci (<5), Vrbovec (<5), and in Mali Raven (<5).
Outside Croatia
Family name Starešec is present in this form only in Croatia.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned few times, the first time 1906 in source Yearbook and Directory of Literary Society of St. Jerome 1906.