Fun Facts About the Name Wade
- More than 76 thousand babies named Wade: U.S. records list 76,668 babies given the name Wade from 1880 through 2025. Even 168 girls received the name Wade - about 1 girl for every 455 boys.
What Does the Name Wade Mean?
Wade is an English name meaning "dweller at a ford." It comes from the surname Wade, which had two related sources. One is the Old English personal name Wada, formed from the verb wadan, "to go, advance, or wade." The other is a topographic surname for someone who lived by a ford, from Middle English wade, "a ford," a noun from the same root. Both describe wading through shallow water.
Wade Name History & Origins
The personal name Wada behind the surname goes back to Old English, and Wade is also the name of a hero in early Germanic legend. In Norse and later medieval tradition, Wade (Old Norse Vaði) is named as the father of the smith Wayland, and English writers knew the same figure; the boat of Wade became a familiar image, and the poet Geoffrey Chaucer alludes to it. The modern first name came from the surname, which was in use in England during the Middle Ages.
How Popular is the Name Wade?
Wade recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1970. Its best rank was #183 in 1966.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | #17,514 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #14,110 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #10,871 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #10,650 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #10,248 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #12,148 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #11,927 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #8,540 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #9,625 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #10,873 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #10,583 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #10,219 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #9,772 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #8,263 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #8,295 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #7,057 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #7,594 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #6,520 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #7,794 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #4,526 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #7,299 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #7,176 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1953 | #5,654 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1928 | #5,404 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1924 | #5,034 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1923 | #4,947 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #5,761 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1920 | #4,383 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1916 | #5,139 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #344 | 948 | 0.0555% |
| 2024 | #341 | 1,009 | 0.0588% |
| 2023 | #341 | 977 | 0.0572% |
| 2022 | #344 | 952 | 0.0546% |
| 2021 | #326 | 1,018 | 0.0582% |
| 2020 | #341 | 944 | 0.0547% |
| 2019 | #335 | 999 | 0.0557% |
| 2018 | #361 | 916 | 0.0505% |
| 2017 | #367 | 902 | 0.0487% |
| 2016 | #405 | 791 | 0.0417% |
| 2015 | #522 | 554 | 0.0289% |
| 2014 | #544 | 508 | 0.0265% |
| 2013 | #549 | 486 | 0.0257% |
| 2012 | #555 | 470 | 0.0248% |
| 2011 | #552 | 462 | 0.0243% |
| 2010 | #599 | 415 | 0.0216% |
| 2009 | #620 | 402 | 0.0203% |
| 2008 | #592 | 426 | 0.0209% |
| 2007 | #529 | 486 | 0.0234% |
| 2006 | #555 | 454 | 0.0221% |
| 2005 | #507 | 486 | 0.0243% |
| 2004 | #519 | 463 | 0.0233% |
| 2003 | #558 | 403 | 0.0204% |
| 2002 | #539 | 414 | 0.0213% |
| 2001 | #495 | 464 | 0.0239% |
| 2000 | #474 | 496 | 0.0253% |
| 1999 | #462 | 494 | 0.0257% |
| 1998 | #447 | 507 | 0.0265% |
| 1997 | #419 | 554 | 0.0294% |
| 1996 | #399 | 593 | 0.0313% |
| 1995 | #435 | 527 | 0.0277% |
| 1994 | #416 | 553 | 0.0286% |
| 1993 | #388 | 592 | 0.0302% |
| 1992 | #349 | 686 | 0.0343% |
| 1991 | #344 | 703 | 0.0348% |
| 1990 | #323 | 778 | 0.0379% |
| 1989 | #308 | 776 | 0.0388% |
| 1988 | #296 | 777 | 0.0406% |
| 1987 | #293 | 731 | 0.0392% |
| 1986 | #287 | 727 | 0.0395% |
| 1985 | #314 | 650 | 0.0352% |
| 1984 | #299 | 666 | 0.0369% |
| 1983 | #319 | 601 | 0.0335% |
| 1982 | #300 | 663 | 0.0365% |
| 1981 | #300 | 647 | 0.0361% |
| 1980 | #285 | 735 | 0.0412% |
| 1979 | #269 | 765 | 0.0444% |
| 1978 | #262 | 776 | 0.0473% |
| 1977 | #236 | 889 | 0.0541% |
| 1976 | #210 | 1,009 | 0.0643% |
| 1975 | #198 | 1,126 | 0.0721% |
| 1974 | #197 | 1,119 | 0.0712% |
| 1973 | #198 | 1,110 | 0.0712% |
| 1972 | #210 | 1,054 | 0.0650% |
| 1971 | #206 | 1,157 | 0.0654% |
| 1970 | #189 | 1,423 | 0.0766% |
| 1969 | #193 | 1,364 | 0.0763% |
| 1968 | #208 | 1,125 | 0.0647% |
| 1967 | #192 | 1,244 | 0.0713% |
| 1966 | #183 | 1,359 | 0.0762% |
| 1965 | #194 | 1,300 | 0.0699% |
| 1964 | #202 | 1,376 | 0.0691% |
| 1963 | #206 | 1,407 | 0.0693% |
| 1962 | #222 | 1,204 | 0.0582% |
| 1961 | #221 | 1,246 | 0.0587% |
| 1960 | #224 | 1,240 | 0.0582% |
| 1959 | #221 | 1,230 | 0.0576% |
| 1958 | #228 | 1,149 | 0.0541% |
| 1957 | #225 | 1,140 | 0.0528% |
| 1956 | #224 | 1,079 | 0.0510% |
| 1955 | #242 | 836 | 0.0406% |
| 1954 | #255 | 755 | 0.0370% |
| 1953 | #270 | 664 | 0.0337% |
| 1952 | #284 | 599 | 0.0308% |
| 1951 | #293 | 553 | 0.0294% |
| 1950 | #297 | 529 | 0.0295% |
| 1949 | #312 | 473 | 0.0267% |
| 1948 | #309 | 486 | 0.0277% |
| 1947 | #314 | 490 | 0.0268% |
| 1946 | #297 | 475 | 0.0292% |
| 1945 | #306 | 381 | 0.0283% |
| 1944 | #294 | 411 | 0.0302% |
| 1943 | #310 | 400 | 0.0280% |
| 1942 | #318 | 371 | 0.0269% |
| 1941 | #293 | 395 | 0.0322% |
| 1940 | #275 | 411 | 0.0355% |
| 1939 | #303 | 347 | 0.0314% |
| 1938 | #314 | 306 | 0.0276% |
| 1937 | #303 | 310 | 0.0291% |
| 1936 | #308 | 300 | 0.0289% |
| 1935 | #301 | 329 | 0.0316% |
| 1934 | #311 | 306 | 0.0296% |
| 1933 | #314 | 295 | 0.0298% |
| 1932 | #313 | 305 | 0.0292% |
| 1931 | #314 | 300 | 0.0289% |
| 1930 | #319 | 298 | 0.0272% |
| 1929 | #313 | 310 | 0.0288% |
| 1928 | #298 | 355 | 0.0321% |
| 1927 | #295 | 377 | 0.0335% |
| 1926 | #306 | 343 | 0.0309% |
| 1925 | #312 | 333 | 0.0298% |
| 1924 | #293 | 385 | 0.0340% |
| 1923 | #312 | 337 | 0.0307% |
| 1922 | #306 | 347 | 0.0319% |
| 1921 | #287 | 383 | 0.0348% |
| 1920 | #294 | 368 | 0.0346% |
| 1919 | #296 | 333 | 0.0340% |
| 1918 | #311 | 324 | 0.0320% |
| 1917 | #295 | 317 | 0.0343% |
| 1916 | #285 | 328 | 0.0369% |
| 1915 | #321 | 266 | 0.0313% |
| 1914 | #281 | 250 | 0.0382% |
| 1913 | #298 | 179 | 0.0349% |
| 1912 | #261 | 181 | 0.0421% |
| 1911 | #303 | 78 | 0.0345% |
| 1910 | #281 | 75 | 0.0386% |
| 1909 | #267 | 69 | 0.0421% |
| 1908 | #388 | 37 | 0.0240% |
| 1907 | #253 | 69 | 0.0470% |
| 1906 | #262 | 57 | 0.0428% |
| 1905 | #245 | 64 | 0.0484% |
| 1904 | #256 | 57 | 0.0445% |
| 1903 | #277 | 46 | 0.0386% |
| 1902 | #307 | 40 | 0.0326% |
| 1901 | #222 | 62 | 0.0582% |
| 1900 | #276 | 56 | 0.0372% |
| 1899 | #212 | 62 | 0.0584% |
| 1898 | #222 | 63 | 0.0514% |
| 1897 | #242 | 53 | 0.0470% |
| 1896 | #229 | 63 | 0.0527% |
| 1895 | #288 | 39 | 0.0332% |
| 1894 | #236 | 54 | 0.0466% |
| 1893 | #238 | 53 | 0.0472% |
| 1892 | #243 | 54 | 0.0442% |
| 1891 | #264 | 38 | 0.0376% |
| 1890 | #235 | 51 | 0.0459% |
| 1889 | #259 | 42 | 0.0380% |
| 1888 | #250 | 50 | 0.0414% |
| 1887 | #260 | 39 | 0.0385% |
| 1886 | #218 | 61 | 0.0551% |
| 1885 | #225 | 54 | 0.0501% |
| 1884 | #239 | 51 | 0.0446% |
| 1883 | #204 | 54 | 0.0516% |
| 1882 | #202 | 64 | 0.0563% |
| 1881 | #214 | 52 | 0.0516% |
| 1880 | #215 | 56 | 0.0507% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Wade Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Wade's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Wade's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.