The Speed surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,255 people carried this name — #4,859 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 40,700 people counted. That is up 2% from 7,082 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Speed surname

A surname transferred from the nickname.

As an English surname, from Middle English sped (“good fortune”, literally “assistance, aid”). Also from the noun speed.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Speed» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Speed was found among the farmers of Somerset: 9 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Somerset 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Speed in American newspapers,
1892–1914.

Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Speed
The Portland Daily Press 1892-01-15
Newspaper page from The St. Mary Banner carrying the name Speed
The St. Mary Banner 1914-03-07
Newspaper page from Cut Bank Pioneer Press carrying the name Speed
Cut Bank Pioneer Press 1914-07-31

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,135 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Speed in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

28,606 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Speed. The most, 7,451, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 13,571
Queensland 4,019
Western Australia 3,478
South Australia 3,372
New South Wales 2,889
Tasmania 1,029
ACT (Canberra) 196
Northern Territory 16

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Speed.

Who carried it

People named Speed,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Speed
    John Speed 1542–1629 · historian
  • John Speed
    John Speed 1551–1629 · historian
  • John Speed
    John Speed 1552–1629 · historian
  • John Speed
    John Speed 1772–1840
  • Samuel Speed 1630–1682 · cleric
  • Samuel Speed 1631–1682 · cleric

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Speed,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States611 records

611 records of the Speed name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 259
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 100
  • Other U.S. records 252
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Philip F. Speed

    Born 1917 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; driver from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret Speed

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Oregon from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 17; servant. From England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Joe L. Speed

    U.S. Air Force veteran. Born 1940, died 1995; buried at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 611 records for Speed in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia513 records

513 records of the Speed name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 221
  • Tasmanian Names Index 130
  • Other Australian records 162
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alfred Edward Charles Speed

    Born 1917 in Plenty, Tasmania. Died 1938 in Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William John Speed

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Anne, arriving 1810.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elsie Speed

    Arrived in Victoria in 1913 aboard the Demosthenes, aged 7.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 513 records for Speed in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom43 records

43 records of the Speed name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 25
  • Stirling Council burial records 11
  • Other British records 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Campbell Speed

    Died 1993, aged 80; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Walter Speed

    Will proved in 1921; of blk, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record M. Speed

    Driver, Royal Horse Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 43 records for Speed in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada27 records

27 records of the Speed name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 10
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 8
  • Other Canadian records 9
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Speed

    Came to Ontario in 1869 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for Bradford, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edward Robert Speed

    Died 1972, aged 80; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Harry Speed

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 27 records for Speed in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Speed name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Rudolph Francis Speed

    Born 1928 in India; died 1994 in the United Kingdom.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Virginia Leigh Speed

    Born 1953 in the United States; died 1999 in Marignane (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Speed name in New Zealand Marlborough District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Marion Speed

    Died 1938, aged 69; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Speed.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Speed is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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