Find out how popular the last name McDade is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McDade.

McDade, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McDade surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McDade in America

McDade is the 4945th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McDade surname appeared 7,119 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McDade.

We can also compare 2010 data for McDade to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McDade

The surname McDade has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a variant of the Gaelic name Mac Dháibhídh, which means "son of David." The name likely originated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, where many early bearers of the name were based.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1375, the annals mention a man named Donnchadh Mac Dháibhídh, who was a chieftain of the Clann Dhàibhídh sept (a branch of a larger Irish clan).

The McDade surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ballymadade and Ballynadade, which may have derived from the Irish "Baile Mac Dháibhídh," meaning "the town of the sons of David."

In the 16th century, the McDade family had established a strong presence in County Antrim, particularly in the baronies of Glenarm and Carey. One notable figure from this period was Sir Hugh McDade (c. 1550-1620), who served as a member of the Irish Parliament and was involved in the Ulster Plantation.

During the 17th century, many McDades were among the Irish immigrants who fled to the American colonies, seeking refuge from the religious and political turmoil in their homeland. One of the earliest recorded McDades in America was John McDade, who settled in Philadelphia in the late 1600s.

Other notable individuals with the McDade surname include:

1. James McDade (1824-1906), an Irish-American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
2. Thomas McDade (1835-1915), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist, known for establishing the McDade Institute in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
3. Eugene McDade (1907-1976), an American actor and screenwriter, best known for his work on the television series "The Untouchables."
4. Alice McDade (1919-2003), an American actress and dancer, who appeared in several Broadway musicals and films.
5. Joseph McDade (1931-2017), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania for over three decades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McDade

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McDade.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McDade was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McDade has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McDade was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McDade, please contact us.

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