Specht
A German and Dutch surname from the word for a woodpecker, probably first used as a nickname or house sign.
The #5,991 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,807 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Specht is the German and Dutch word for a woodpecker, ultimately from older Germanic forms such as Old High German speht. As a surname, it was likely first applied as a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird in some way, or it may have arisen from a house sign showing a woodpecker. The related English forms Speight and Speaight reflect the same root.
History
Historical surname dictionaries place Specht mainly in German and Dutch usage, with English parallels such as Speight appearing in medieval records. The name fits a broader European pattern of surnames taken from birds, either as nicknames or from inn signs. It remains established in German-speaking areas and is also found among descendants in North America.
Origin
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Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several surname dictionaries explicitly gloss Specht as "woodpecker," and one notes that the bird also appears in German folk tradition.
From the historical record
“SPEET 1 (Teut.) a nickname from the S P E i G H T J Woodpecker [M.E. spe(i)ght, etc. : cp. Dut. and Ger. specht (O.H.Ger. speht), woodpecker] Hugo Speght. — Yorks Poll-Tax, A.D. 1379.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)