Ade
Meaning "crown" or "royalty" in the Yoruba language of Nigeria.
Name Census estimates that about 383 living Americans carry the first name Ade. It is a predominantly male name (91.4% of registrations). The average person named Ade today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ade births was 2016 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ade. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
383
~ 1 in 894,920 Americans
Peak year
2016
23 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,958
Tracked since 1919
Gender
Gender distribution for Ade
Ade leans heavily male at 91.4% of total registrations, but 34 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Ade as a male name
- Ranked #8,958 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (18 births)
Ade as a female name
- Ranked #10,300 in 2023
- 9 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (9 births)
Popularity
Ade: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ade from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 112 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ade remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ade by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ade during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ades live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ade
The name Ade has its origins in the Yoruba language and culture of West Africa. The name is derived from the Yoruba word "ade," which means "crown" or "royalty." It is a popular name among the Yoruba people, who reside primarily in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
The earliest recorded use of the name Ade dates back to the 15th century, during the reign of the Oyo Empire, a powerful Yoruba kingdom that dominated much of present-day western Nigeria. The name was often given to children born into noble or royal families, reflecting the meaning of "crown" or "royalty."
In Yoruba mythology and folklore, the name Ade is associated with the concept of kingship and leadership. Several prominent figures in Yoruba history have borne this name, including Ade Adamola, a renowned military leader and ruler of the Oyo Empire in the late 18th century.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Ade was Ade Olowu, a respected Yoruba chief and warrior who lived in the 19th century. He played a crucial role in the defense of his people against the expansionist policies of the Oyo Empire and is celebrated as a symbol of resistance and bravery.
In the realm of literature, the name Ade has been immortalized in the works of renowned Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. One of his plays, "Death and the King's Horseman," features a character named Ade, highlighting the cultural significance of the name.
Other notable individuals with the name Ade include Ade Ajayi, a prominent Nigerian historian and academic who made significant contributions to the study of African history in the 20th century. Ade Bethune, an American Catholic saint and religious leader, was also known by this name.
While the name Ade has its roots in the Yoruba culture of West Africa, it has gained popularity and recognition across various cultures and regions around the world, reflecting the richness and diversity of human naming traditions.
People
Ade + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ade as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ade: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ade?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 383 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ade going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 894,920 US residents.
Is Ade a common name?
We classify Ade as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 397 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ade most popular?
The single biggest year for Ade was 2016, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ade is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ade a male name?
Yes, 91.4% of people registered as Ade in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.