Find out how popular the last name Speakman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Speakman.

Speakman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Speakman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Speakman in America

Speakman is the 9672nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Speakman surname appeared 3,355 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Speakman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Speakman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Speakman

The surname Speakman originated in England, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "specan," which means "to speak." The name likely referred to someone who possessed exceptional oratory skills or was a public speaker or town crier.

In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a Richard le Spekeman from Oxfordshire. The "le" prefix indicates that the name was originally a descriptive nickname rather than a hereditary surname. Over time, as surnames became more widespread, the "le" was dropped, and the name evolved into its modern spelling.

The Speakman surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. In the 1379 Poll Tax returns for Yorkshire, there are entries for a Johannes Spekeman and a Willelmus Spekeman. These early records suggest that the name had already established itself in the region by the late 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Speakman surname can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1311, which mentions a Richard del Spekemon. The "del" prefix is another indicator that the name originated as a nickname, possibly referring to someone from the hamlet of Speakemon or Spekeman.

In the 16th century, the Speakman name appears in various parish records and legal documents. Notable individuals include John Speakman (c. 1530-1590), a prominent merchant and landowner from Lancashire, and Richard Speakman (1558-1632), a clergyman who served as the Rector of Blackburn in Lancashire.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), a Captain Thomas Speakman (c. 1600-1670) fought on the Parliamentarian side and was commended for his bravery at the Battle of Preston in 1648. His descendant, Sir John Speakman (1735-1812), was a successful banker and Member of Parliament for Liverpool.

In the 18th century, Edward Speakman (1747-1827) was a renowned artist and portrait painter who worked in London. His works can be found in various art galleries and private collections across Britain.

Another notable figure was Sir John Speakman (1844-1921), a businessman and philanthropist from Manchester. He made significant contributions to the city's development and served as the Lord Mayor of Manchester in 1908.

While the Speakman surname is primarily associated with England, it has also been documented in other parts of the British Isles and beyond, likely due to migration and the spread of the English language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Speakman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Speakman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Speakman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Speakman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Speakman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Speakman, please contact us.

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