Speed
A name of hope or nickname: originally linked to success, prosperity, or quick movement.
The #4,859 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,556 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from Old English sped, meaning success, prosperity, or good fortune. In some cases it may have begun as a baptismal or wish-name, expressing hope for the child’s success; in others it may have been a nickname for someone thought to be quick or swift in movement. The same word later helped shape related forms such as Speedy and possibly Speeding.
History
English records show the surname early and in several forms, including Speed and Speedy. Nineteenth-century surname writers debated whether it was chiefly a wish-name or a nickname, and both explanations remain plausible. The name also survives as a common English word, which has helped keep its meaning transparent over time.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books noted that Speed belongs to a small group of surnames built from positive qualities or abstract nouns, such as Hope, Luck, and Welfare.
From the historical record
“SPEED (Eng.) SUCCESS, FORTUNE, Pros- perity [O.E. sped] Roger Sped. — Hund. Rolls. SPEEDING (Eng.) representing an A.-Sax. *Speding= Sped's Son [O.E. spM, f., suc- cess, prosperity, etc. + the fil. suff. -ing] For ari analogous -!M5--formation on a fem. noun cp. the A.-Sax. Munding. SPEEDY (Eng.) Prosperous, Fortunate;”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Speed
- Gary Speed (1969–2011)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.