Starke is a city in Bradford County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,449 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bradford County. Starke may have been named in honor of developer George W. Cole's fiancée or in honor of Madison Starke Perry, fourth governor of Florida and a Confederate States Army colonel. The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, adds that the city may have been named after "Thomas Starke, a slaveholder who once owned much land around the area."