Speed
A virtue name referring to swiftness or quickness of motion.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Speed. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Speed today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Speed births was 1921 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Speed. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Speed. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1921
9 babies that year
Average age
-
1921 SSA rank
#3,183
Tracked since 1890
Popularity
Speed: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Speed from the 1890s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 9 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Speed by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Speed during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Speed
The name Speed has its roots in the Old English language, derived from the word "sped," which meant "prosperity" or "success." It first emerged as a surname in medieval England, but over time, it transitioned into being used as a given name as well.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Speed can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and populations undertaken in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. Here, the name appears as "Spede," likely a reference to a person's swift or efficient manner.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained popularity, particularly in England and Scotland. It was often associated with qualities such as swiftness, agility, and determination. In 1594, John Speed, an English cartographer and historian, was born. His famous works, including "The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine," contributed to the recognition of the name.
In the 18th century, Speed became a more common given name, especially among families with military or athletic backgrounds. One notable bearer of the name was Speed Saunders (1725-1796), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
As exploration and travel became more widespread, the name Speed started to appear in various parts of the world. In the 19th century, Speed Ludington (1828-1914), an American businessman and philanthropist, made his mark in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Another significant figure bearing the name was Speed Holman (1885-1953), an American baseball player and coach. He played for several Major League Baseball teams and later became a successful manager, winning the World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1935.
Moving into the 20th century, Speed Riggs (1904-1985), an American lawyer and politician, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina from 1947 to 1953.
While not as common as some other names, Speed has maintained a unique presence throughout history, often associated with qualities of swiftness, determination, and achievement.
People
Speed + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Speed as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Speed: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Speed?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Speed going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Speed a common name?
We classify Speed as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Speed most popular?
The single biggest year for Speed was 1921, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Speed is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Speed in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Speed a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Speed in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Speed still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Speed in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Speed can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Speed?
Find out how many Americans are named Speed on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.