Explore the Family Name Speed

The meaning of Speed

1. 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. 2. Irish (Mayo): when not the English name, adopted for Gaelic Ó Fuada, from fuad ‘haste’ (see Foody). 3. Americanized form (translation into English) of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Schnell.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Speed in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Speed has seen a slight dip in recent years. In 2000, it ranked as the 4589th most common surname nationwide, but by 2010, it fell to 4859th place, marking a decrease of about 5.88%. However, interestingly, the overall count of people with this name has slightly increased over the same period. In 2000, there were approximately 7082 individuals with this surname, and by 2010, that number rose by 2.44% to reach 7255. Despite this increase, the proportion of people named Speed per 100,000 residents decreased by 6.46%.

20002010Change
Rank#4,589#4,859-5.88%
Count7,0827,2552.44%
Proportion per 100k2.632.46-6.46%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Speed

The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity of those bearing the Speed surname. As of 2010, the largest group identified as White, accounting for 59.10% of the total, however, this represented a slight decrease from 61.01% in 2000. The second largest group was Black, representing 35.16% up from 34.69% in 2000. People identifying as Hispanic accounted for 2.26%, up from 1.58% in 2000. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also saw growth, moving from 0.66% in 2000 to 0.73% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races also saw significant growth, increasing from 1.67% to 2.41%. Conversely, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a decrease, from 0.38% to 0.33%.

20002010Change
White61.01%59.1%-3.13%
Black34.69%35.16%1.35%
Two or More Races1.67%2.41%44.31%
Hispanic1.58%2.26%43.04%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.66%0.73%10.61%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.38%0.33%-13.16%

Speed ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Speed is British & Irish, which comprises 58.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.6%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish58.4%
French & German18.6%
Scandinavian4.3%
Other18.7%
Speed

Possible origins of the surname Speed

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Speed have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
South Yorkshire, United Kingdom80.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom80.60%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom80.60%
West Midlands, United Kingdom80.60%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom80.60%

What Speed haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Speed is I-L22, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L22 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and I-L205.1, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wester, Nowell, Brewer, Quist, Belcher, Stockton, Holmberg, Knudson, Newsome, Nord.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Speed surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

speedPaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to many northern European men

If you have haplogroup I1a1b, your paternal line stems from a young branch of I-M253 called I-L22, which likely arose in the last 3,000 years. I-L22 is most common in Northern Europe, but a recent study found that this haplogroup was present in a significant portion of the Partecipanza population living in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy. The area of San Giovanni in Persiceto was involved in a migration period in 728 AD, when it became part of the Lombard kingdom, under King Aistulf. San Giovanni in Persiceto was only under Lombard rule for 48 years, after which the Lombards were defeated by King Charlemagne in 776 AD. There are several characteristics of San Giovanni in Persiceto that link it to other Lombard settlements. For instance, some research suggests San Giovanni in Persiceto was the seat of a Lombard Duke between 750 and 800 AD. It is possible that the Lombards who ruled over San Giovanni in Persiceto played an important role in the introduction and growth of haplogroup I-L22 in the region.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara

Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Speed have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Speed

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Speed" Surname 50.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Speed

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Speed" Surname 31.8%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Speed

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Speed" Surname 29.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Speed

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Speed" Surname 13.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Speed?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Speed are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%