NameCensus.

UK surname

Speight

An English occupational surname derived from the Old English word "spēd," meaning success, prosperity, or quickness.

In the 1881 census there were 2,430 people recorded with the Speight surname, ranking it #1,825 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,067, ranked #2,199, down from #1,825 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Batley, Wakefield and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Wakefield and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Speight is 3,324 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.2%.

1881 census count

2,430

Ranked #1,825

Modern count

3,067

2016, ranked #2,199

Peak year

1911

3,324 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Speight had 2,430 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,825 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,067 in 2016, ranked #2,199.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,324 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Speight surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Speight surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Speight 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 1,365 #2,105
1861 historical 1,116 #2,514
1881 historical 2,430 #1,825
1891 historical 2,414 #1,944
1901 historical 3,151 #1,779
1911 historical 3,324 #1,569
1997 modern 3,266 #1,970
1998 modern 3,314 #2,017
1999 modern 3,321 #2,038
2000 modern 3,262 #2,060
2001 modern 3,214 #2,049
2002 modern 3,249 #2,071
2003 modern 3,079 #2,128
2004 modern 3,091 #2,125
2005 modern 3,010 #2,152
2006 modern 3,049 #2,130
2007 modern 3,087 #2,123
2008 modern 3,067 #2,147
2009 modern 3,146 #2,149
2010 modern 3,194 #2,168
2011 modern 3,197 #2,128
2012 modern 3,102 #2,157
2013 modern 3,136 #2,173
2014 modern 3,112 #2,194
2015 modern 3,083 #2,188
2016 modern 3,067 #2,199

Geography

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Where Speights are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Batley, Wakefield, Bradford, London parishes and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Wakefield and Barnsley. 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 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
2 Wakefield 003 Wakefield
3 Kirklees 010 Kirklees
4 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
5 Barnsley 028 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Speight

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Speight

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Speight, 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 Speight surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Speight 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, Speight 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

Speight is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Speight 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 Speight 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 Speight, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Speight

The surname Speight has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "speht," meaning "woodpecker." This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who resembled or shared characteristics with the woodpecker bird.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Speight can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it was spelled "Specht." This document was a record of financial transactions and accounts kept by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Henry II.

Over the centuries, the name Speight evolved to take on various spellings, such as Specht, Speght, and Spight, before settling into its modern form. Many of these variations can be found in historical records and documents from different regions of England.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Speight, a knight who fought in the Battle of Evesham in 1265 during the Second Barons' War. He was recorded as "Johannes Specht" in contemporary chronicles.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Speight, born in 1545 in Yorkshire. He was a renowned scholar and author who published several works on the history and antiquities of his native county.

During the 17th century, the Speight surname was also found in the parish records of Ecclesfield, South Yorkshire, with entries for families using the spelling "Spight."

In the late 18th century, a place called Speight Town existed in the township of Wadsworth, West Yorkshire. This name was likely derived from the surname itself, indicating that the area was once associated with or inhabited by individuals bearing the Speight name.

Other notable individuals with the surname Speight include:

1. Richard Speight, an English clergyman and academic who lived in the late 16th century and served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. 2. George Speight, a Fijian politician and businessman who led a civilian coup d'état in Fiji in 2000. 3. James Speight, a Scottish brewer and businessman born in 1825, who founded the Speight's Brewery in Dunedin, New Zealand. 4. Thomas Wilkinson Speight, a 19th-century English antiquarian and archaeologist known for his work on the history and archaeology of Yorkshire. 5. Richard Speight Jr., an American actor and director born in 1970, best known for his roles in various television series, including Supernatural and Lucifer.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Speight families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Speight 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 1,764 Speights recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.50x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,764 7.50x
Lancashire 286 1.02x
Middlesex 86 0.36x
Lincolnshire 58 1.53x
Durham 41 0.58x
Kent 33 0.41x
Westmorland 28 5.37x
Derbyshire 27 0.73x
Surrey 21 0.18x
Cheshire 18 0.34x
Cumberland 12 0.59x
Leicestershire 10 0.38x
Warwickshire 9 0.15x
Northamptonshire 8 0.36x
Channel Islands 6 0.85x
Dorset 5 0.32x
Northumberland 5 0.14x
Staffordshire 4 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.09x
Sussex 3 0.07x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Essex 1 0.02x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Monmouthshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 152 Speights recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.44x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 152 11.44x
Hunslet 130 35.43x
Dewsbury 54 22.38x
Holbeck 53 34.00x
Manningham 53 18.28x
Wakefield 46 25.47x
Bradford 43 7.55x
Gomersal 43 39.16x
Islington London 42 1.83x
Morley 42 34.33x
Tong 41 90.21x
Preston 40 5.31x
Horton In Bradford 32 8.71x
North Bierley 32 25.19x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 31 36.88x
Soothill 29 34.12x
Wyke In Bradford 29 68.92x
Batley 26 11.63x
Hunsworth 26 210.53x
Methley 25 75.46x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 23 26.92x
Bury 23 7.15x
Cleckheaton 23 26.54x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 23 21.04x
Wortley In Bramley 23 12.34x
Ashton Under Lyne 22 3.57x
Blackburn 22 2.93x
Bowling 22 9.44x
Barrow In Furness 21 5.48x
Castleford 20 23.34x
Ovenden 20 19.10x
Sheffield 20 2.67x
Farnley In Bramley 19 64.69x
Shitlington 19 78.06x
West Ardsley 19 67.09x
Whitwood 19 56.85x
Armley 18 17.35x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 18 22.37x
Mirfield 18 13.93x
Sandal Magna 18 51.74x
Featherstone 17 64.35x
Northowram 17 10.30x
Stainland Cum Old 16 39.74x
Bingley 15 10.01x
Calverley Cum Farsley 15 22.45x
Ecclesfield 15 8.70x
Mexborough 15 32.12x
Rothwell 15 31.57x
Doncaster 14 8.14x
Glass Houghton 14 164.13x
Halifax 14 4.05x
Kendal 14 14.66x
Skipton 14 18.91x
Kimberworth 13 9.96x
Tankersley 13 74.12x
Thornhill 13 18.94x
Beeston 12 50.42x
Derby St Werburgh 12 5.59x
Drighlington 12 35.02x
Thornton In Bradford 12 15.32x
Birkenhead 11 2.63x
Lancaster 11 6.56x
Prescot 11 21.59x
Rawmarsh 11 13.23x
Thornaby 11 12.51x
Washington 11 37.14x
Great Grimsby 10 4.15x
Lee 10 8.50x
Swinton In Rotherham 10 16.07x
Ulverston 10 12.19x
Bolton Le Sands 9 140.85x
Boston 9 7.81x
Eccleshill 9 15.72x
Gateshead 9 1.70x
Heysham 9 175.10x
Menston 9 167.29x
Morton In Keighley 9 48.70x
Purston Jaglin 9 156.79x
Springthorpe 9 517.24x
St Pancras London 9 0.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 172
Sarah 98
Elizabeth 88
Annie 55
Hannah 49
Jane 49
Martha 47
Ann 42
Emma 37
Eliza 36
Ellen 28
Harriet 27
Alice 25
Emily 22
Edith 20
Margaret 19
Ada 15
Louisa 15
Maria 13
Clara 12
Susannah 12
Amelia 10
Caroline 10
Florence 10
Eleanor 8
Esther 8
Fanny 8
Lucy 8
Anne 7
Elizth. 7
Grace 7
Ruth 7
Agnes 6
Amy 6
Frances 6
Isabella 6
Rebecca 6
Rose 6
Charlotte 5
Ethel 5
Henrietta 5
Kate 5
Bertha 4
Catherine 4
Eva 4
Laura 4
Nancy 4
Priscilla 4
Rachel 4
Selina 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 126
William 114
George 76
James 73
Thomas 72
Joseph 68
Henry 36
Walter 34
Arthur 33
Charles 33
Robert 28
Alfred 27
Samuel 21
Albert 20
Harry 20
Richard 19
Benjamin 17
David 16
Edward 14
Tom 14
Wm. 14
Fred 13
Matthew 13
Herbert 12
Joe 10
Frank 9
Willie 8
Sam 7
Thos. 7
Amos 6
Ben 6
Ernest 5
Jacob 5
Jonas 5
Joshua 5
Robt. 5
Daniel 4
Edmund 4
Ephraim 4
Frederick 4
Jas. 4
Peter 4
Allen 3
Chas. 3
Christopher 3
Isaac 3
Jesse 3
Jonathan 3
Levi 3
Squire 3

FAQ

Speight surname: questions and answers

How common was the Speight surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,430 people were recorded with the Speight surname. That placed it at #1,825 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Speight surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,067 in 2016. That gives Speight a modern rank of #2,199.

What does the Speight surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the Old English word "spēd," meaning success, prosperity, or quickness.

What does the Speight map show?

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