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

Speck, 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 Speck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Speck in America

Speck is the 5521st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Speck surname appeared 6,297 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 Speck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Speck 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 Speck

The surname SPECK is of German origin, dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "specke," which means "bacon" or "pork fat." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with pork or was a butcher.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "Speck" or "Specke" in various medieval German records and documents. One of the earliest known references is in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicorum, a collection of medieval charters from the region of Westphalia, where the name is mentioned in a document dated 1195.

The SPECK surname can also be traced back to specific regions in Germany, such as the Rhineland and Saxony, where it was particularly prevalent. Some variations of the name included "Specken," "Speckmann," and "Speckter," which may have indicated a connection to a particular place or occupation.

One notable historical figure with the surname SPECK was Johannes Speck (c. 1450-1520), a German Renaissance humanist and scholar who served as the rector of the University of Leipzig. Another was Reinhard Speck (1839-1909), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.

In the 16th century, the SPECK surname appeared in the Württembergisches Geschlechterbuch, a register of noble families in the region of Württemberg. One entry mentions a Jörg Speck, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Markgröningen in the late 1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the SPECK name spread throughout other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with German immigration. For example, records show individuals with the surname SPECK residing in the Netherlands and parts of Eastern Europe during this time period.

One notable bearer of the SPECK name was Johann Christoph Speck (1676-1742), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Meiningen. Another was Johann Georg Speck (1733-1807), a German writer and translator who was known for his translations of French and English literary works.

By the 19th century, the SPECK surname had become well-established in various parts of the German-speaking world, as well as in areas with significant German immigration, such as the United States and Canada. Some notable individuals from this period include Carl Speck (1800-1874), a German-American artist and engraver, and Wilhelm Speck (1855-1929), a German industrialist and entrepreneur.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Speck

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

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

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

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