Speke (surname)

Speke is a surname with origins in England. It is a locational surname, derived from places named Speke, found in Lancashire and Devon. The place names are derived from the Old English "spēc," meaning a woodpecker.

Notable people with the surname Speke include:

• John Hanning Speke (1827–1864): A British explorer and officer in the British Indian Army, best known for his expeditions to Africa, during which he is credited as the first European to identify Lake Victoria as the source of the Nile.

The surname Speke is relatively uncommon.