Where Does the Spechter Surname Come From?

In old registers, Spechter often stands in for Specht. Name scholars give the meaning as “Woodpecker”. The ending -er in Spechter marks an German derivative of the root behind Specht. Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms. The same family of names includes Spechtl.

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Spechter, so the heraldry linked to Specht is a starting point, not an automatic right. Get the complete Spechter report, with a museum-style coat of arms.