Wade
Meaning
surname/place name, "to ford, river crossing"
The story
Wade is the river crossing, the place shallow enough to walk, an English surname that became a steady American first name with a midcentury prime: about 8,500 in the 1950s, cresting at 12,900 in the 1960s, then the long ebb to 4,500 in the 2000s, and the vintage turn, 6,500 in the 2010s and 5,900 so far this decade. The spiritual Wade in the Water gives the name a deep American resonance older than any surname fashion, and a Miami guard spent this century making the surname synonymous with grace under pressure. In our records it goes to boys about 76,000 to 170. One syllable, a verb, a place, and a song: Wade is the rare name that tells you what to do and where, and the record shows three generations taking the suggestion.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Wade peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
37 people · the #81,857 first name in Brazil · median age 22
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Wade
People given the name Wade in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1960 to 2009. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Wade deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Wade truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Wade fits with your family’s names and surname.
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