Why Are Potatoes Called Spuds?

Have you ever wondered how “spud” became the most common term of potato endearment? There were some early theories on “why are potatoes called spuds?” but only one that seems to hit the nail on the Potato Head.

Potato Haters

When potatoes were first introduced by Spain to the rest of Europe in the 18th century, many thought they were not fit for humans, so they founded the Society for the Prevention of an Unwholesome Diet, aka SPUD. Their theories on potatoes’ problems were later debunked, and so was the notion that the word spud came from them.

The Tool of the Trade

The real reason spuds got their moniker is from the way they are planted. A small hole has to be dug using a short knife, or dagger, to place a potato segment in the ground. The name of the implements used to dig were translated from many languages including the Latin root word “spad” (or sword), the Spanish “espada,” the Dutch “spyd” and eventually the English “spade.” It soon grew to be colloquially known as “spud” to the English-speaking world.

Potato Wordplay

There are many fun potato nicknames out there that you may not know about like Murphy (a common Irish surname), Tuber and even Earthapple. But, spud seems to be what sticks in most people’s minds. It’s even become a common nickname: think of humans like Spud Webb and mascots like Spuds MacKenzie.

So there’s your answer to “why are potatoes called spuds?” But whatever you call them, learn more potato facts and get recipes to make spuds with your buds from our blog.