2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Speeks
A surname derived from a dialectal form of the word "speech" or "speak," likely referring to a loquacious or talkative individual.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Speeks. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Speeks 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Speeks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Speeks, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Speeks
The surname Speeks has its origins rooted in the Anglo-Saxon regions of medieval England. Dating back to the 9th century, this name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "spic" and "speca," which translate to "speaker" or "orator." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been renowned for their oratory skills or perhaps even served as spokespeople or emissaries in their communities.
During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, many surnames became solidified as a means of distinguishing individuals and families. It is likely that the Speeks surname emerged as a descriptive name referencing an occupation or notable characteristic of the original bearer. This practice was common in the Middle Ages when hereditary surnames were still developing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Speeks surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a certain "Godric Speca" from Gloucestershire, indicating the presence of the name in the region during the late 11th century.
Throughout the following centuries, variations in spelling were common, as scribes often recorded names based on their phonetic interpretation. Some notable examples include Speyk, Speyke, and Speke. These alternate spellings can be found in various historical records and documents from the medieval period.
One notable individual bearing the Speeks surname was Sir John Speke, a renowned English explorer born in 1827. He is best known for his expeditions in Africa, during which he was the first European to discover Lake Victoria and claim it as the source of the Nile River. Sadly, Sir John Speke met an untimely death in 1864, when he was accidentally shot while hunting.
Another historical figure was William Speke, born in 1542, who served as the High Sheriff of Norfolk during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His descendants included several notable members of the gentry and landed aristocracy in East Anglia.
In the realm of literature, Rachel Speght, born in the late 16th century, was an English polemicist and one of the earliest female writers to engage in the controversial debate surrounding the perceived inferiority of women. Her work, "A Mouzell for Melastomus," published in 1617, was a notable contribution to the early feminist movement.
John Speke, born in 1595, was a prominent English barrister and judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1659 until his death in 1661. His legal expertise and judicial career left a lasting impact on the English legal system during the tumultuous years of the English Civil War and the Interregnum period.
Finally, Sir Hugh Speke, born in 1656, was a notable English politician and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which saw the overthrow of King James II and the establishment of the constitutional monarchy under William III and Mary II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Speeks
Among Census respondents with the surname Speeks, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Speeks 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 Speeks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.1% · 86
- Black or African American21.5% · 26
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Speeks
Speeks 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,665 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,665 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 799 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 Speeks 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 | #142,108 | #141,309 | 0.6% |
| Count | 117 | 121 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Speeks bearers went from 117 to 121 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 799 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #141,309.
FAQ
Speeks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Speeks?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Speeks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Speeks?
Speeks ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Speeks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Speeks.
Has Speeks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Speeks went from 117 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Speeks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Speeks, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Speeks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Speeks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.1%), Black (21.5%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Speeks (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 Speeks mean?
A surname derived from a dialectal form of the word "speech" or "speak," likely referring to a loquacious or talkative individual. 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 Speeks (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 common is the surname Speeks?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Speeks is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.