2000
#297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 92,834
First available Census row
Per 100,000 34.41
Common Last name
Wade
An English occupational surname for a person who helped others wade across streams or shallow waters.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 106,762 Americans carry the last name Wade. That puts it at #331 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 31.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,210 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wade surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wade with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
107K
1 in 3,210
Census rank
#331
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
31.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
93K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 93,102 bearers of the surname Wade in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 31.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 331st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wade, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wade
Among Census respondents with the surname Wade, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wade bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wade surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.5% · 58,194
- Black or African American28.2% · 26,301
- Two or more races4.7% · 4,378
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 3,075
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 586
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 568
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wade
Wade appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97,040
+4,206 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 32.90
Rank movement Down 22 places
2020
#331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 93,102
-3,938 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 31.15
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #297 | 92,834 | 34.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #319 | 97,040 | 32.90 | +4,206 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 22 places |
| 2020 | #331 | 93,102 | 31.15 | -3,938 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 12 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wade surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #319 | #331 | -3.8% |
| Count | 97,040 | 93,102 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 32.90 | 31.15 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wade bearers went from 97,040 to 93,102 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #319 to #331.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wade
FAQ
Wade surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wade?
Name Census estimates that about 106,762 living Americans carry the surname Wade. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,210 residents.
How common is Wade?
Wade ranks #331 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 31.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 31 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 93,102 people with the surname Wade. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (106,762), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 31.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 31.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 31 of them to have the surname Wade.
Has Wade become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wade went from 97,040 recorded bearers to 93,102. That is a decrease of 3,938 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #319 to #331.
What does the Census say about the background of Wade?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wade, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wade in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.5% (58,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wade appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.5%), Black (28.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wade (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wade mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who helped others wade across streams or shallow waters. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wade (31.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Wade?
See how common the surname Wade is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.