Wade is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Wade means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Wade across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Wade has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Wade is a boy name of Old English origin meaning “to go, ford”. From an English surname, also linked to a legendary hero.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 76,666 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 900 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Wade per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1970 (1,430/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (49/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2017 (3/yr).
Wade has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1970, when it ranked #410 nationally (given to 1,430 babies that year).
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