The name Spessard was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1941:
- 1943: unlisted
- 1942: unlisted
- 1941: 5 baby boys named Spessard [debut]
- 1940: unlisted
- 1939: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Politician Spessard Holland, who served as the 28th Governor of Florida from 1941 to 1945.
Interestingly, Spessard — a Democrat — faced no Republican opponent in the general election. (He did defeat a fellow Democrat in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, though.)
Before serving as governor, he was in the Florida Senate (1932-1940). Afterward, he was in the U.S. Senate (1946-1971).
Spessard Holland’s first name was his mother’s maiden name. “Spessard” is a variant of the German surname Spessart, which came from Spechtshart, meaning “woodpecker forest.”
Sources:
- Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Spessard Holland – American National Biography Online
- Spessard L. Holland Papers – UF Special and Area Studies Collections