NameCensus.

UK surname

Speedy

An English surname referring to someone who moved or worked quickly.

In the 1881 census there were 219 people recorded with the Speedy surname, ranking it #12,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #12,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ladykirk, Whitby and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newport, North Tyneside and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Speedy is 224 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.7%.

1881 census count

219

Ranked #12,122

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

1901

224 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Speedy had 219 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Speedy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Speedy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Speedy 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 191 #10,808
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 219 #12,122
1891 historical 165 #17,143
1901 historical 224 #14,091
1911 historical 166 #16,756
1997 modern 134 #22,608
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 138 #22,960
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 126 #24,393
2003 modern 119 #25,026
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 119 #25,193
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 116 #26,209
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 114 #27,363
2010 modern 117 #27,557
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 123 #26,974
2014 modern 126 #26,781
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Speedys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ladykirk, Whitby, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Perth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newport, North Tyneside, South Somerset, Lewisham and Liverpool. 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 Ladykirk Berwick
2 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Perth Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newport 004 Newport
2 North Tyneside 014 North Tyneside
3 South Somerset 020 South Somerset
4 Lewisham 029 Lewisham
5 Liverpool 016 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Speedy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Speedy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Speedy, 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 Speedy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Speedy 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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Speedy is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Speedy is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Speedy falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Speedy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Speedy

The surname "Speedy" is of English origin and dates back to the late 15th century. It is derived from the Middle English word "spede," which means "to prosper" or "to succeed." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who was known for their swiftness or efficiency.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, from 1524-1525, where a John Speedy was listed as a taxpayer. It is also found in the Registers of the Parish of Broughton, Lancashire, where a William Speedy was christened in 1589.

The name "Speedy" is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. It may have been related to the place name "Speed," which is a township in the parish of Thornton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665, where a Richard Speedy is listed as a householder in the village of Eccleston, Lancashire. The Parish Registers of Mitton, Yorkshire, also record the marriage of John Speedy and Jane Hartley in 1680.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname "Speedy" was John Speedy, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1746 and died in 1826. Another prominent figure was Charles Speedy, a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh in the early 19th century. He was born in 1781 and died in 1856.

Other notable individuals with the surname include William Speedy, a 19th-century Scottish landscape painter born in 1815, and James Speedy, a British politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Aylesbury from 1865 to 1874. Additionally, John Speedy was a Scottish surgeon and author who wrote several medical treatises in the early 20th century.

The surname "Speedy" has been found in various historical records throughout the centuries, with its origins firmly rooted in the northern counties of England. While it may have started as a nickname for someone known for their swiftness or efficiency, it eventually became a well-established surname passed down through generations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Speedy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Speedy 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. Northumberland leads with 41 Speedys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.90x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 41 12.90x
Middlesex 35 1.64x
Yorkshire 33 1.56x
Essex 27 6.40x
Lanarkshire 12 1.74x
Lancashire 11 0.43x
Angus 10 5.05x
Midlothian 9 3.15x
Renfrewshire 5 3.02x
Wiltshire 5 2.65x
Berwickshire 4 15.46x
Stirlingshire 4 5.08x
Surrey 4 0.38x
Hampshire 3 0.69x
Lincolnshire 3 0.88x
Perthshire 3 3.13x
Berkshire 2 1.25x
Devon 2 0.45x
Durham 2 0.31x
Kent 2 0.27x
Inverness-shire 1 1.57x
Worcestershire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 21 Speedys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.56x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 21 22.56x
Whitby 20 280.50x
Tweedmouth 14 353.54x
Dundee 10 13.54x
Liberton 9 203.62x
Ruswarp 8 340.43x
Carham 7 853.66x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 42.50x
Barrow In Furness 6 17.41x
St Pancras London 6 3.49x
Abbey 5 19.79x
Cowley 5 1388.89x
Liverpool 5 3.25x
Lowick 5 450.45x
Barony 4 2.29x
Clapham 4 14.98x
Lesmahagow 4 54.72x
Paddington London 4 5.09x
St Marylebone London 4 3.51x
Stirling 4 40.28x
Thorne 4 152.09x
Wanstead 4 54.20x
Berwick Upon Tweed 3 44.58x
Friern Barnet 3 63.69x
Louth 3 38.31x
St Gilesin Fields 3 241.94x
St Mary Extra 3 85.23x
Warminster 3 72.46x
East Ham 2 25.54x
Govan 2 1.17x
Islington London 2 0.97x
Ladykirk 2 625.00x
Longformacus 2 714.29x
Milton In Gravesend 2 18.30x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 10.54x
Perth Middle Church 2 55.40x
Poplar London 2 4.96x
South Shields 2 35.34x
St George Hanover 2 7.17x
Stoke Damerel 2 6.43x
Stonehouse 2 85.47x
Westwood 2 512.82x
Bromsgrove 1 10.65x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.98x
Cornhill 1 208.33x
Dunning 1 83.33x
Eshott 1 1000.00x
Ford 1 86.21x
Great Ribston Cum 1 714.29x
Hornsey 1 3.70x
Hungerford 1 46.08x
Kensington London 1 0.84x
Kingussie Insh 1 68.49x
Sandhurst 1 32.15x
St Giles In Fields 1 13.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 7
Jane 6
Margaret 5
Fanny 4
Isabella 4
Sarah 4
Ellen 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Henrietta 2
Louisa 2
Agness 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Cornelia 1
Eliza 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Gilian 1
Hannah 1
Ida 1
Isabel 1
Isabell 1
Jessie 1
Mabel 1
Maggie 1
Margrat 1
Margt. 1
Marguerite 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Percy 1
Rosella 1
Susannah 1
Thirza 1
Wilhelmina 1
Winfred 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
George 8
James 8
Thomas 8
John 7
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Robert 3
Alexander 2
David 2
Edward 2
Ralph 2
Samuel 2
Christopher 1
Christr. 1
Edwaed 1
Fred 1
Gerald 1
Gilbert 1
Graham 1
Hubert 1
Jas. 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Speedy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Speedy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 219 people were recorded with the Speedy surname. That placed it at #12,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Speedy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Speedy a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Speedy surname mean?

An English surname referring to someone who moved or worked quickly.

What does the Speedy map show?

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