Wade
Wade is a masculine given name of Anglo-Saxon English origin and derives from the pre-7th century Old English verb "wadan" (wada) meaning "to go", or as a habitational name from the Old English word "(ge)wæd" meaning "ford".
Meaning & Origin of Wade
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Wade is a masculine given name of Anglo-Saxon English origin and derives from the pre-7th century Old English verb "wadan" (wada) meaning "to go", or as a habitational name from the Old English word "(ge)wæd" meaning "ford".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Wade
Wade first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 56 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 1,423 Wades were born — ranking #189 that year. As of 2026, Wade ranks #343 for baby boys with 1,006 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 78K Wades have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Wade
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Wade Allison (born 1941), British physicist and Oxford professor
- Wade Baldwin IV (born 1996), American basketball player
- Wade Barrett (born 1980), retired British professional wrestler
- Wade Belak (1976 – 2011), former National Hockey League player
- Wade Boggs (born 1958), former Major League Baseball player
- Wade Cunningham (born 1984), New Zealand race car driver
- Wade Davis (anthropologist) (born 1953), Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author and photographer
- Wade Davis (baseball) (born 1985), Major League Baseball pitcher
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Wade
Phonetically similar names — useful when Wade is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wade
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About the name Wade
Wade is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 78K births in the dataset. Wade's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #183. Use the chart and map above to compare Wade's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.