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Speed Family History

Speed Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English sped ‘success, prosperity, wealth, smooth progress’ (hence the modern meaning ‘swiftness’); also ‘speed, quickness’ (Old English sped) used either for a fortunate, wealthy, or successful person or for a swift runner.

Irish (Mayo): when not the English name adopted for Gaelic Ó Fuada from fuad ‘haste’ (see Foody).

Americanized form (translation into English) of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Schnell.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Speed family from?

You can see how Speed families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Speed family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Speed families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 228 Speed families living in Lancashire. This was about 10% of all the recorded Speed's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Speed families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Speed surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Speed ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Speed. 10% of Speed men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Speed women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Speed were Dairy Farmer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Speed | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Farmer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Dairy Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Speed family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 71,000 census records available for the last name Speed. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Speed census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Speed

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Speed. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Speed immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Speed. For the veterans among your Speed ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Speed military records

You've only scratched the surface of Speed family history

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What is the average Speed lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Speed life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Speed in 1950 was 44, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Speed

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Speed ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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