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

Wade, 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 Wade surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wade in America

Wade is the 319th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wade surname appeared 97,040 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 33 people would have the surname Wade.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wade 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 Wade

The surname Wade originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'wadan', meaning to go or to ford a river. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a river crossing or ford.

The earliest recorded instance of the Wade surname dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. The name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, listed as 'Wada' and 'Wada de Wicha'.

In the 14th century, the Wade surname was found in various places across England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Some early examples include John Wade, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, and Robert Wade, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1317.

The Wade surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir William Wade (c.1480-1548), a prominent English diplomat and politician who served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London under Henry VIII.

Another significant figure was Sir William Wade (1546-1623), an English statesman and politician who served as Secretary of State for Ireland during the reign of Elizabeth I. He played a crucial role in the suppression of the Irish rebellion led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone.

In the literary world, Nathaniel Wade (1605-1679) was an English poet and clergyman who published several works, including "The Perfect Parson" and "The Poet's Solemn Appeal to the British Nation".

Sir Thomas Francis Wade (1818-1895) was a British diplomat and sinologist who served as the first Professor of Chinese at the University of Cambridge. He made significant contributions to the study of the Chinese language and culture.

In the field of sports, Sir Francis Edward Wade (1891-1978) was a prominent English cricketer who played for England and captained the team in the 1920s. He was also an accomplished administrator and served as the President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) from 1946 to 1949.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wade

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

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 Wade 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 Wade 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 Wade was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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