Wade is a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin. It is thought to derive from the Middle English given name "Wade", which itself derived from the Old English verb "wadan" (wada) meaning "to go", or as a habitational name from the Old English word "(ge)waed" meaning "ford".Hanks, Patrick & Hodges, Flavia. A Dictionary of Surnames (Oxford University Press, 1988); s.v. Wade
Variants of this surname include Waide and Wadey, the latter a diminutive variant. There is also a documented relationship between Wade and Waythe, the latter derived by a variant form of "wade" meaning a ford, that being "wath"; there is likewise a relationship between Wade/Waythe and Ford/Forth.
Notable people and fictional characters with the surname A to E Abdoulaye Wade (born 1926), President of Senegal
April Wade, American actress and producer Arthur C. Wade (1852–1914), American lawyer and politician Arthur Edward Wade (1895–1989), British botanist, lichenologist and museum curator Barrington Wade (born 1998), American football player Ben Wade (1922–2002), American baseball player Bernie L. Wade (born 1963), American minister, President of the International Circle of Faith
Betsy Wade (1929–2020), American journalist Brandon Wade (born 1970), American businessman Bruce Wade (1889–1973), American paleontologist and geologist Bryan Wade (born 1963), English footballer
Christian Wade (born 1991), English rugby player and American football player Claude Martin Wade (1794–1861), British political officer in India and Afghanistan Cory Wade (born 1983), American Major League Baseball player
Dallas Toler-Wade (born 1974), American musician Dayton Wade (born 2000), American football player Dean Wade (born 1996), American basketball player Don Wade (1928–2007), American football coach and college athletics administrator Donald Wade, Baron Wade (1904–1988), British Liberal Party politician Doug Wade (born 1941), Australian rules footballer Dwyane Wade (born 1982), American basketball player
Eddie Wade (1948–2025), Irish politician Edward Wade (1802–1866), American politician
F to J Gale Wade (1929–2022), American baseball player George Wade (1673–1748), British military commander
Gloria Wade-Gayles (1937–2026), American academic and author Henry Wade (1914–2001), Texas lawyer and lead defendant in Roe v. Wade Henry Wade, pen name of British mystery writer Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 6th Baronet (1887–1969) Henry Wade (surgeon) (1876–1955), Scottish surgeon Herbert Wade (doctor) (1886–1968), American doctor and researcher on leprosy Herby Wade (1905–1980), South African cricketer Hunter Wade (1916–2011), New Zealand diplomat
James Wade (born 1983), English darts player
Jason Wade (born 1980), singer/songwriter Jennie Wade (1843–1863), the only civilian casualty in the Battle of Gettysburg Jeremy Wade (born 1956), British TV presenter (River Monsters) and fishing author Jessey Wade ( – 1952), English suffragette and animal welfare campaigner Jim Wade (1925–2019), American football player
John Wade (disambiguation), several people Joivan Wade (born 1993), British actor
Julian Wade (born 1990), Dominican footballer Julie Marie Wade (born 1979), American writer and professor or writing
K to O Karim Wade (born 1968), Senegalese politician LaMonte Wade Jr. (born 1994), American baseball player Lillian Wade (1870–1923), British sculptor Lloyd Wade, English gospel and soul singer, vocal coach Logan Wade (born 1991), Australian baseball player Madeline Wade, American physicist Mark Wade (born 1965), American retired basketball player
Martin Joseph Wade (1861–1931), U.S. Democratic Representative from Iowa Mary Wade (1775–1859), British convict transported to Australia aboard the Lady Juliana in 1790 Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade (1860–1936), American writer Mary Wade (paleontologist) (1928–2005), Australian paleontologist Matthew Wade (born 1987), Australian cricketer
Melancthon S. Wade (died 1868), Union Army general Morgan Wade (singer) (born 1995), American singer Mortimer Wade (1821–1902), American manufacturer and politician Nan Wade, alias of a Manx wise woman (or two women) active in the 19th-century Ned Wade (hurler) (1911–1992), Irish hurler Nicholas Wade (born 1942 in England), US science writer and author Nicholas J. Wade, British vision researcher and historian of vision Oulton Wade, Baron Wade of Chorlton (1932–2018), British politician and businessman
P to T Paul Wade (born 1962), Australian footballer Peter Wade, British anthropologist Rachel Wade (born 1990), American murderer Rebekah Wade, English journalist Reg Wade, English footballer Robert Wade (disambiguation), multiple people Rosalind Wade (1909–1989), British novelist Scott Wade (born 1960), Australian rules footballer Shaun Wade (disambiguation), multiple people Sidney Wade (born 1951), American poet Silas A. Wade (1797–1869), American politician Stephen Wade (politician) (born 1960), Australian politician Ted Wade (disambiguation), multiple people Terence Wade (1930–2005), English academic and linguist Thomas Wade (disambiguation), multiple people Tobías Wade (born 1999), Argentine rugby union player Tomás Wade (died 1982), Argentine field hockey player Tyler Wade (born 1994), American baseball player
U to Z Virginia Wade (born 1945), tennis player from the United Kingdom Wallace Wade (1892–1986), American college sports coach Wayne Wade (born 1959), Jamaican reggae musician
Willoughby Francis Wade (1827–1906), British physician
Notes
Further reading
See also Justice Wade (disambiguation)