2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Speckin
A Sephardic Jewish surname likely derived from a nickname related to speckles or freckles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Speckin. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Speckin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Speckin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Speckin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Speckin
The surname "SPECKIN" is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It likely derives from the Old German word "speck," which means "bacon" or "pork fat." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a pork butcher or rendered lard.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SPECKIN" can be found in a medieval document from the city of Augsburg, dated around 1375. The record mentions a "Hans Speckin," who was a member of the local butchers' guild. This provides evidence that the name was already established in that region by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, there are records of a "Johannes Speckin" who lived in the town of Nuremberg. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, indicating that the name had gained some social status by that time.
During the 17th century, the name "SPECKIN" appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and trade. In a Dutch census from 1642, there is an entry for a "Pieter Speckin" living in Amsterdam.
One notable bearer of the "SPECKIN" name was Friedrich Speckin, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1701 to 1778. He published several influential works on ethics and religious philosophy.
Another individual of historical significance was Maria Speckin, a German-born artist who lived from 1845 to 1923. She was known for her intricate woodcarvings and sculptures, which depicted scenes from folklore and rural life.
In the 19th century, the name "SPECKIN" can be found in records from various regions, including Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Eastern Europe. This suggests that the name had become more widely dispersed throughout the German-speaking areas of Europe.
One notable bearer from this period was Carl Speckin, a German engineer who lived from 1829 to 1894. He was instrumental in the construction of several important railway lines in Germany and Austria.
Finally, in the early 20th century, there was a German-American artist named Otto Speckin, who lived from 1878 to 1962. He was known for his landscape paintings and became a respected figure in the art community of New York City.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Speckin
Among Census respondents with the surname Speckin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Speckin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Speckin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 109
- Two or more races7.6% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Speckin
Speckin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+10 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 66 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,740 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 66 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 9,740 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Speckin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #133,048 | #142,788 | -7.3% |
| Count | 127 | 119 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Speckin bearers went from 127 to 119 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 9,740 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #142,788.
FAQ
Speckin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Speckin?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Speckin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Speckin?
Speckin ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Speckin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Speckin.
Has Speckin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Speckin went from 127 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Speckin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Speckin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Speckin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Speckin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (7.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Speckin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Speckin mean?
A Sephardic Jewish surname likely derived from a nickname related to speckles or freckles. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Speckin (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Speckin?
Find out how common the surname Speckin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.