Nameling

Wade

Gender
Boy
Say it
WAYD
Origin
English
UK rank, 2025
#1,337 for boys
US rank, 2025
#344 for boys

Wade is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “ford”. In 2025 it ranked 1,337th for boys in the UK (22 babies) and 344th for boys in the US (948 babies).

What does Wade mean?

English: from an English surname

“ford”

From an English surname for someone living near a ford, linked to Old English wadan, to go or wade.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Wade a girl's or a boy's name?

Wade is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 22 boys in the UK and 948 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Wade in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#1,337among boys
Babies in 2025
22about 1 in 14,000 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 50% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 22 boys in the UK were named Wade, making it the 1,337th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 812th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 52 boys.

Half of all the boys named Wade in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 1,275th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 52 in 20172025
Wade in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202522#1,337
202421#1,355
202325#1,214
202224#1,229
202129#1,085
202042#812
201948#756
201846#788
201752#739
201644#806
201518#1,476
201431#1,005
201331#1,002
201227#1,099
201123#1,203
201020#1,342
200926#1,086
200833#905
200735#843
200632#864
200538#742
200427#864
200325#880
200230#707
200140#550
200033#620
199925#736
199837#557
199727#671
199634#548

How popular is Wade in the US?

Rank in 2025
#344among boys
Babies in 2025
948about 1 in 1,800 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 3% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 948 boys in the US were named Wade, making it the 344th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 340th. Its busiest year was 1970, with 1,423 boys.

2025 had fewer boys named Wade than any year since 2020.

Half of all the boys named Wade in the US since 1880 were born between 1956 and 1995, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 1,423 in 19702025
Wade in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025948#344
20241,010#341
2023977#341
2022953#344
20211,018#326
2020944#340
2019999#335
2018917#361
2017902#367
2016791#406
2015555#519
2014509#543
2013486#546
2012470#554
2011462#551
2010415#599
2009402#620
2008426#592
2007486#529
2006454#553
2005486#506
2004463#519
2003403#556
2002414#539
2001464#495
2000496#473
1999494#462
1998507#447
1997554#418
1996593#398
1995527#434
1994553#415
1993592#388
1992686#349
1991703#344
1990778#323
1989776#308
1988777#296
1987731#293
1986727#287
1985650#313
1984666#299
1983601#318
1982663#300
1981647#300
1980735#285
1979764#269
1978776#262
1977889#236
19761,009#210
19751,126#197
19741,119#197
19731,110#198
19721,053#210
19711,156#206
19701,423#189
19691,364#193
19681,125#207
19671,244#192
19661,359#183
19651,300#194
19641,375#202
19631,407#206
19621,204#222
19611,247#221
19601,241#224
19591,230#221
19581,148#228
19571,141#225
19561,077#224
1955836#242
1954755#255
1953664#270
1952599#284
1951552#293
1950529#297
1949473#312
1948486#309
1947490#313
1946475#297
1945381#304
1944411#294
1943400#310
1942371#318
1941395#291
1940411#275
1939346#302
1938305#314
1937310#303
1936300#308
1935329#300
1934306#310
1933295#313
1932305#312
1931300#313
1930298#319
1929310#313
1928355#298
1927377#294
1926343#306
1925333#312
1924385#293
1923337#312
1922347#306
1921384#286
1920367#295
1919333#296
1918324#311
1917317#294
1916328#283
1915266#319
1914250#280
1913179#298
1912181#261
191178#300
191075#279
190969#265
190837#383
190769#253
190657#261
190564#245
190457#254
190346#273
190240#302
190162#218
190056#274
189962#211
189863#222
189753#238
189663#224
189539#282
189454#235
189353#236
189254#242
189138#260
189051#233
188942#251
188850#245
188739#254
188661#216
188554#220
188451#235
188354#203
188264#200
188152#211
188056#213

Names like Wade

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

George Blake Luke Frankie Theodore Jesse Tate Jude Sonny Ace Cole James

Other spellings of Wade

Wayde

Names related to Wade

Ade

More English names

Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie

Every English name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Wade: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/wade, updated 20 October 2026.