NameCensus.

UK surname

Spedding

A locational surname for someone residing near fertile or productive land.

In the 1881 census there were 928 people recorded with the Spedding surname, ranking it #4,142 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,301, ranked #4,603, down from #4,142 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Gateshead and Egremont. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, South Tyneside and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spedding is 1,412 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.2%.

1881 census count

928

Ranked #4,142

Modern count

1,301

2016, ranked #4,603

Peak year

1998

1,412 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spedding had 928 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,142 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,301 in 2016, ranked #4,603.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,373 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Spedding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spedding surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spedding 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 565 #4,492
1861 historical 610 #4,355
1881 historical 928 #4,142
1891 historical 1,085 #3,890
1901 historical 1,260 #3,932
1911 historical 1,373 #3,501
1997 modern 1,343 #4,283
1998 modern 1,412 #4,245
1999 modern 1,397 #4,306
2000 modern 1,373 #4,363
2001 modern 1,347 #4,340
2002 modern 1,362 #4,392
2003 modern 1,312 #4,449
2004 modern 1,304 #4,466
2005 modern 1,260 #4,559
2006 modern 1,240 #4,644
2007 modern 1,269 #4,575
2008 modern 1,269 #4,604
2009 modern 1,302 #4,600
2010 modern 1,337 #4,579
2011 modern 1,339 #4,519
2012 modern 1,292 #4,599
2013 modern 1,292 #4,676
2014 modern 1,312 #4,637
2015 modern 1,311 #4,595
2016 modern 1,301 #4,603

Geography

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Where Speddings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Gateshead, Egremont, Batley and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, South Tyneside and South Lakeland. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Egremont Cumberland
4 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Copeland 006 Copeland
3 South Tyneside 010 South Tyneside
4 Copeland 005 Copeland
5 South Lakeland 001 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spedding

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spedding

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spedding, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Spedding surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Spedding household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Spedding is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spedding is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spedding falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Spedding 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 Spedding, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Spedding

The surname SPEDDING is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "sped" meaning "success" or "prosperity" and "ing" which was a common suffix denoting a place or location. It likely originated in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire or Northumberland, during the medieval period.

The name is believed to have initially referred to someone who lived in a prosperous or successful place, or a settlement that was thriving and prosperous. Variations in spelling over time included Speding, Spedyng, and Speeding.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SPEDDING can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a John Spedyng is mentioned. The SPEDDING surname also appears in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns for Yorkshire.

In the 16th century, the name SPEDDING was associated with a family of landowners and gentry in the village of Windermere in the Lake District region of Cumbria. Notable members include John SPEDDING (1556-1622), a justice of the peace, and his son, Thomas SPEDDING (1597-1662), a barrister and member of the Long Parliament.

Another significant figure was John SPEDDING (1770-1851), a philanthropist and businessman from Cumbria who established several schools and institutions for the poor. He was also a prominent supporter of the anti-slavery movement.

In the literary world, James SPEDDING (1808-1881) was a renowned English editor and biographer, best known for his work on the life and writings of Sir Francis Bacon. He was also a member of the Philological Society and a co-founder of the London Library.

The SPEDDING name has also been associated with notable figures in the fields of science and academia, such as Frank SPEDDING (1902-1984), an American chemist and professor at Iowa State University, and Christopher SPEDDING (1945-2001), a British physicist and professor at the University of Cambridge.

Despite its English origins, the SPEDDING surname has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by emigrants and descendants of the original English families.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spedding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spedding 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 252 Speddings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.81x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 252 2.81x
Lancashire 201 1.87x
Cumberland 185 23.74x
Durham 136 5.05x
Westmorland 37 18.60x
Cheshire 24 1.20x
Northumberland 23 1.71x
Cardiganshire 11 4.98x
Surrey 10 0.23x
Leicestershire 7 0.70x
Middlesex 5 0.06x
Sussex 5 0.33x
Wigtownshire 5 4.16x
Fife 4 0.75x
Warwickshire 4 0.18x
Orkney 3 3.01x
Roxburghshire 3 1.83x
Shropshire 3 0.38x
Berkshire 2 0.29x
Hampshire 2 0.11x
Staffordshire 2 0.07x
Dorset 1 0.17x
Hertfordshire 1 0.16x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Midlothian 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Batley in Yorkshire leads with 66 Speddings recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.42x.

Place Total Index
Batley 66 77.42x
Soothill 57 175.93x
Gateshead 25 12.40x
Dewsbury 23 25.00x
Egremont 21 113.02x
Great Bolton 19 13.35x
Arlecdon 18 86.83x
Witton 17 125.83x
Blackburn 16 5.60x
Little Hulton 16 89.94x
Applethwaite 14 236.09x
Bishopwearmouth 14 6.06x
Heaton Norris 14 22.90x
Caldewgate 12 28.10x
Keswick 12 120.48x
Oldham 12 3.46x
Shincliffe 12 398.67x
Stockport 12 11.67x
Whitehaven 12 28.89x
Workington 12 26.89x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 11 34.33x
Penrith 11 38.21x
St Cuthbert W O 11 28.96x
Trefeirig 11 319.77x
Austwick 10 680.27x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 10 12.43x
Toxteth Park 10 2.75x
Wolsingham 10 40.75x
Chester Le Street 9 43.52x
Chorley 9 14.93x
Cleator 9 27.74x
Liscard 9 25.00x
East Broughton 8 261.44x
Northowram 8 12.72x
Ulverston 8 25.57x
West Auckland 8 81.22x
Westleigh 8 32.80x
Baildon 7 41.44x
Eldon 7 163.93x
Halliwell 7 17.91x
Holbeck 7 11.78x
Huddersfield 7 5.36x
Sherburn 7 85.37x
Underskiddaw 7 421.69x
Wigan 7 4.66x
Almondbury 6 13.83x
Ebchester 6 143.88x
Heworth 6 11.31x
Lamplugh 6 153.45x
Mirfield 6 12.18x
Wetheral 6 58.14x
Askham 5 314.47x
Barnsley 5 5.40x
Beckermet St John 5 257.73x
Byker 5 7.51x
Cumwhitton 5 320.51x
Elvet 5 25.72x
Kearsley 5 22.12x
Keighley 5 5.23x
Little Bolton 5 3.62x
Liverpool 5 0.77x
Preston In Tynemouth 5 94.34x
Rotherhithe 5 4.47x
Salter Eskat 5 819.67x
Sunderland 5 10.51x
Whithorn 5 54.59x
Whitwick 5 39.19x
Calverley Cum Farsley 4 15.70x
Casterton 4 222.22x
Droylsden 4 11.42x
Dunfermline 4 4.85x
Gomersal 4 9.55x
Gosforth 4 105.26x
Holy Trinity 4 1.85x
Lowside Quarter 4 412.37x
Millom 4 16.75x
Milverton 4 59.79x
Pennington In Ulverston 4 74.91x
Shildon 4 18.48x
Skirwith 4 465.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 80
Elizabeth 37
Sarah 30
Jane 29
Ann 28
Margaret 25
Hannah 18
Ellen 16
Alice 15
Annie 12
Agnes 9
Maria 9
Frances 8
Isabella 7
Eliza 6
Martha 6
Emma 5
Florence 5
Nancy 5
Edith 4
Elizth. 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Lucy 4
Ruth 4
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Louisa 3
Rebecca 3
Agness 2
Charlotte 2
Deborah 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Henrietta 2
Isabel 2
Susan 2
Susanna 2
Susannah 2
Amy 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Betety 1
Betey 1
Eizabeth 1
Eliz. 1
Eliz.A. 1
Hamutal 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 63
John 57
Thomas 45
James 36
Joseph 26
George 20
Robert 17
Edward 12
Charles 11
Arthur 9
Samuel 9
Henry 8
Richard 8
Thos. 8
David 7
Isaac 6
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Harry 5
Peter 5
Mathew 4
Michael 4
Robt. 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Jas. 3
Jno. 3
Matthew 3
Tom 3
Willm. 3
Abel 2
Anthony 2
Benjamin 2
Benjn. 2
Carlisle 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Robinson 2
Wm. 2
Bennett 1
Charlesworth 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Garege 1
Lawrence 1
Mark 1

FAQ

Spedding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spedding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 928 people were recorded with the Spedding surname. That placed it at #4,142 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spedding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,301 in 2016. That gives Spedding a modern rank of #4,603.

What does the Spedding surname mean?

A locational surname for someone residing near fertile or productive land.

What does the Spedding map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Spedding 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.