How to say it
WADE
/weɪd/
Masculine
Wade
At the ford; to go
What it means
From Old English wadan, 'to go' or 'to wade,' and a place name for a river crossing.
Wade comes from the Old English wadan, 'to go' or 'wade across,' and from places named for a ford. There was also a Germanic legendary hero named Wade, a giant of the sea whose tale Chaucer still referenced centuries later. As a name it is short, sturdy, and a touch Southern, worn by baseball's Wade Boggs. It reads plainspoken and grounded.
Popularity over time
peaked at #183 in 1966, currently #344 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
From a ford-crossing place name and the old legend of Wade the sea-giant.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Wade Boggs Hall of Fame baseball third baseman
Spelling variants
- Wayde
- Waid