SPEDDING
The surname Spedding is of English origin and traces its lineage to the Old English word sped, which signified success or prosperity.
As an occupational surname, it was originally bestowed upon individuals who were regarded as successful or prosperous, or who may have been employed in a capacity that was associated with such attributes. The suffix -ing in Old English denotes “son of,” thereby rendering Spedding to mean “son of the successful one” or “son of the prosperous one.”
From a regional perspective the name is recorded as being of Northern English and Scottish provenance, and may be patronymic in nature, derived from a pre‑7th‑century by‑name Sped. The addition of -ing could also be interpreted as “dependants of,” further underscoring the hereditary aspect of the designation.
Documentary evidence places the earliest verifiable appearance of the family name in the early sixteenth century. The first concrete spelling that survives is that of John Spedane, who is mentioned in the Criminal Trials of Scotland compiled in 1502. This record falls within the reign of King Henry Tudor, who ruled from 1485 to 1509.
Subsequent entries illustrate the proliferation and variation of the name. In 1600 a smith named William Speiding is recorded in the Records of the Regality of Melrose. By the late seventeenth century the spelling was further diversified, with forms such as Speddin, Speeding, Speedin, and Speenden appearing in parish registers.
During the 1680s documentation of matrimonial alliances provides additional evidence of the surname’s presence in England. Robert Speeding entered into marriage with Alice Kastell at St. James, Dukes Place, London, on the twenty‑first day of February 1689. A few years later, on the eleventh day of November 1692, a Catherine Spedding was christened at St. Paul, Covent Garden, London.
The nineteenth century records one notable bearer of the name, James Spedding (1808–1881), who served as the editor of the works of Sir Francis Bacon. He received his education at Bury Street, N. Edmunds, and Trinity College, Cambridge, and later held a temporary post within the Colonial Office.
Over time the surname has remained primarily within the United Kingdom, though variations in spelling have rendered it somewhat more dispersed in contemporary genealogical research. Each documented instance reinforces the connection of the name to an legacy of success and prosperity that originates in the Old English language.
Typical given names associated with the Spedding surname
Male
- Andrew
- Ben
- Christopher
- David
- Iain
- Ian
- John
- Lawson
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jean
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Spedding in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,731 people named Spedding in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,746th most common surname in Britain. Around 27 in a million people in Britain are named Spedding.
Famous people named Spedding
- Chris Spedding - Rock and roll and jazz guitarist
- David Spedding - Chief of the Secret Intelligence Services (1943 to 2001)
- Charlie Spedding - Athlete
- Duncan Spedding - Football player
- Jim Spedding - Football player (1912 to 1)
- Alison Spedding - Anthropologist
- Gary Spedding - Darts player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.