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

Specht, 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 Specht surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Specht in America

Specht is the 5991st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Specht surname appeared 5,738 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Specht.

We can also compare 2010 data for Specht 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 Specht

The surname Specht is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "speht," which means "woodpecker." The word itself is of imitative origin, mimicking the sound made by the bird. The name first emerged in the 12th century, referring to someone who lived near a woodpecker's nest or whose physical characteristics or occupation were associated with the bird.

In the 13th century, the name Specht appeared in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of charters and documents from the Saxon region of Germany. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Henricus Speht, mentioned in a document from the city of Erfurt in 1292.

The Specht name spread across various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. It also found its way into the Low Countries and parts of Austria. In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, with a notable bearer being Johannes Specht, a merchant and councilman born in 1520.

In the 17th century, the name Specht gained prominence with the birth of Paul Specht (1602-1670), a German jurist and politician who served as the Mayor of Leipzig. Another notable bearer from this period was the poet and philosopher Friedrich von Spee (1591-1635), who played a significant role in exposing the injustices of the witchcraft trials in Germany.

The 18th century saw the birth of Johann Tobias Specht (1727-1791), a German philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on the philosophy of religion. In the 19th century, the name was associated with Carl Specht (1801-1873), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Bode Museum.

One of the most famous bearers of the Specht surname was the German opera singer and actor Rudolf Specht (1891-1977), who performed on stages across Europe and was particularly renowned for his roles in Wagner operas.

Throughout its history, the surname Specht has maintained its connection to the woodpecker, with various place names and locations bearing the name, such as Spechtshausen, a village in the German state of Hesse, and Spechtsart, a forest near the city of Würzburg.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Specht

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

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 Specht 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 Specht 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 Specht was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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