Boy · #2,986 in 2026

Speed

Speed, as a name, may refer to:

Current Rank
#2,986
Peak Rank
#2,986 (1921)
Total Babies
19
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1890
First Year
1921
Last Year
1921
Peak Year
#2986
Peak Rank
19
Total Count
3
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Speed

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Speed, as a name, may refer to:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Speed

The earliest SSA record of Speed as a baby boy name dates back to 1890, when 5 babies received it. 1921 was its biggest year on record, with 9 newborns named Speed — #2,986 in the national rankings. About 47% of every Speed on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Speed last appeared in the published SSA data in 1921, with 9 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 19 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Speed

Phonetically similar names — useful when Speed is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Spead
  • Spaed
  • Spede
  • Spade
  • Spud
  • Sped
  • Spied
  • Spayed
  • Spid
  • Spaid
  • Spode
  • Spad

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Speed

What does the name Speed mean?
Speed, as a name, may refer to:
How popular is Speed in 2026?
In 2026, Speed ranks #2,986 among boys' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year.
When was Speed most popular?
Speed reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #2,986 that year with 9 babies given the name.
Is Speed a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Speed is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Speed?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Speed include Virge, Greely, Otie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Speed

Speed is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1890 and has accumulated 19 births in the dataset. Speed's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #2,986. Use the chart and map above to compare Speed's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.