NameCensus.

UK surname

Speck

A metonymic occupational surname for a pork butcher or someone who prepared and sold bacon or ham.

In the 1881 census there were 530 people recorded with the Speck surname, ranking it #6,481 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 796, ranked #6,952, down from #6,481 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Swindon, Lyddington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Middlesbrough and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Speck is 834 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.2%.

1881 census count

530

Ranked #6,481

Modern count

796

2016, ranked #6,952

Peak year

1998

834 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Speck had 530 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,481 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 796 in 2016, ranked #6,952.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 779 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Speck surname distribution map

The map shows where the Speck surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Speck surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Speck over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 424 #5,760
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 530 #6,481
1891 historical 445 #8,134
1901 historical 702 #6,274
1911 historical 779 #5,578
1997 modern 796 #6,559
1998 modern 834 #6,533
1999 modern 831 #6,599
2000 modern 826 #6,608
2001 modern 791 #6,702
2002 modern 828 #6,593
2003 modern 786 #6,744
2004 modern 766 #6,913
2005 modern 756 #6,913
2006 modern 749 #6,989
2007 modern 752 #7,044
2008 modern 774 #6,934
2009 modern 807 #6,837
2010 modern 829 #6,826
2011 modern 806 #6,895
2012 modern 806 #6,792
2013 modern 819 #6,808
2014 modern 820 #6,837
2015 modern 809 #6,860
2016 modern 796 #6,952

Geography

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Where Specks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes, Middlesborough and Corfe Castle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Middlesbrough and East Riding of Yorkshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Corfe Castle Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 019 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Middlesbrough 007 Middlesbrough
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 001 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Speck

These lists show first names that appear often with the Speck surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Speck

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Speck, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Speck surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Speck household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Speck is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Speck is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Speck falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Speck is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Speck, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Speck

The surname SPECK is of German origin, dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "specke," which means "bacon" or "pork fat." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with pork or was a butcher.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "Speck" or "Specke" in various medieval German records and documents. One of the earliest known references is in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicorum, a collection of medieval charters from the region of Westphalia, where the name is mentioned in a document dated 1195.

The SPECK surname can also be traced back to specific regions in Germany, such as the Rhineland and Saxony, where it was particularly prevalent. Some variations of the name included "Specken," "Speckmann," and "Speckter," which may have indicated a connection to a particular place or occupation.

One notable historical figure with the surname SPECK was Johannes Speck (c. 1450-1520), a German Renaissance humanist and scholar who served as the rector of the University of Leipzig. Another was Reinhard Speck (1839-1909), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.

In the 16th century, the SPECK surname appeared in the Württembergisches Geschlechterbuch, a register of noble families in the region of Württemberg. One entry mentions a Jörg Speck, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Markgröningen in the late 1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the SPECK name spread throughout other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with German immigration. For example, records show individuals with the surname SPECK residing in the Netherlands and parts of Eastern Europe during this time period.

One notable bearer of the SPECK name was Johann Christoph Speck (1676-1742), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Meiningen. Another was Johann Georg Speck (1733-1807), a German writer and translator who was known for his translations of French and English literary works.

By the 19th century, the SPECK surname had become well-established in various parts of the German-speaking world, as well as in areas with significant German immigration, such as the United States and Canada. Some notable individuals from this period include Carl Speck (1800-1874), a German-American artist and engraver, and Wilhelm Speck (1855-1929), a German industrialist and entrepreneur.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Speck families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Speck surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 211 Specks recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.10x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 211 4.10x
Lincolnshire 69 8.32x
Wiltshire 56 12.20x
Dorset 41 12.04x
Gloucestershire 24 2.36x
Sussex 23 2.63x
Glamorgan 18 1.99x
Durham 16 1.04x
Middlesex 15 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 8 2.55x
Kent 8 0.45x
Norfolk 8 1.00x
Carmarthenshire 6 2.74x
Surrey 6 0.24x
Hampshire 4 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.43x
Somerset 3 0.36x
Staffordshire 3 0.17x
Cumberland 2 0.45x
Lancashire 2 0.03x
Midlothian 2 0.29x
Derbyshire 1 0.12x
Devon 1 0.09x
Herefordshire 1 0.47x
Suffolk 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Corfe Castle in Dorset leads with 37 Specks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1170.89x.

Place Total Index
Corfe Castle 37 1170.89x
Swindon 31 87.08x
Brighton 14 7.93x
Cottingham 12 108.30x
Coyty Lower 12 204.43x
Brotton 10 149.03x
Falsgrave 10 131.93x
Great Grimsby 10 18.99x
Middlesbrough 10 14.93x
Wroughton 10 251.26x
Hessle In Sculcoates 9 198.24x
Stratton St Margaret 9 127.84x
York St Martin Mklgt W 9 775.86x
Fxhls Bythrp Btrwch 8 1066.67x
Hunslet 8 9.98x
Morton In Gainsborough 8 490.80x
Norton In Malton 8 128.41x
Sherburn 8 189.13x
St Benedict Lincoln 8 714.29x
Wold Newton 8 1428.57x
Downham Market 7 127.74x
Gloucester St Aldate 7 555.56x
Holbeach 7 75.76x
Horton Kirby 7 255.47x
North Cave Drewton 7 344.83x
St Swithin Lincoln 7 53.64x
Stockton On Tees 7 9.41x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 6 157.89x
Great Driffield 6 56.87x
Llanelly 6 12.18x
Paull 6 618.56x
Scarborough 6 12.84x
South Bersted 6 80.65x
Soyland 6 97.24x
Chalfont St Peter 5 193.05x
Islington London 5 0.99x
Nafferton 5 228.31x
Newcastle Higher 5 81.43x
Swillington 5 342.47x
Binbrooke 4 193.24x
Bridlington 4 33.98x
Camberwell 4 1.21x
Castle Dykings Lincoln 4 1212.12x
Church Knowle 4 400.00x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 4 167.36x
Leake 4 105.26x
New Malton 4 65.04x
Paddington London 4 2.10x
Stranton 4 7.70x
Ulceby 4 198.02x
West Heslerton 4 645.16x
Aldbrough In Skirlaugh 3 315.79x
Appleton Wiske 3 508.47x
Bath St James 3 34.44x
Burstwick With 3 400.00x
Caistor 3 90.91x
Clifton In York 3 27.88x
Helpringham 3 179.64x
Highworth 3 51.11x
Holy Trinity 3 2.43x
Horton In Bradford 3 3.74x
Keyingham 3 267.86x
Wombwell 3 20.01x
York St Cuthbert 3 63.69x
York St Maurice 3 30.99x
Brandon Byshottles 2 10.34x
East Heslerton 2 370.37x
Fosdyke 2 235.29x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 2 10.74x
Hemsworth 2 67.80x
Leeds 2 0.69x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.11x
Oving 2 67.57x
Portsea 2 0.96x
Shenstone 2 44.94x
South Leith 2 2.56x
St Cuthbert W O 2 9.18x
Stoke Poges 2 52.22x
Wotton Ville 2 208.33x
Wrangle 2 96.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Speck surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 34
Elizabeth 21
Ann 16
Jane 13
Eliza 12
Sarah 12
Alice 8
Annie 8
Ellen 7
Hannah 7
Harriet 7
Emma 6
Catherine 5
Clara 5
Kate 5
Margaret 5
Charlotte 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Henrietta 2
Jemima 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Polly 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Amy 1
Bella 1
Bessie 1
Carry 1
Christiana 1
E. 1
Edna 1
Elizth.Ann 1
Esington 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1
L. 1
Lavinia 1
Lilley 1
Lily 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Speck surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 32
William 31
George 21
Thomas 21
Charles 17
Henry 14
James 9
Robert 9
Walter 9
Albert 7
Arthur 6
David 6
Joseph 6
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Earnest 3
Fred 3
Alexander 2
Amos 2
Chas. 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Howard 2
Jacob 2
R. 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Eli 1
Enock 1
Fredk. 1
Fredric 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jesse 1
Jocelyn 1
Jonathan 1
Kirby 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Meadley 1
Orlando 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Speck surname: questions and answers

How common was the Speck surname in 1881?

In 1881, 530 people were recorded with the Speck surname. That placed it at #6,481 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Speck surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 796 in 2016. That gives Speck a modern rank of #6,952.

What does the Speck surname mean?

A metonymic occupational surname for a pork butcher or someone who prepared and sold bacon or ham.

What does the Speck map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Speck bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.