Boys' name · since 1880

Wade

Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 76,498 babies named Wade, peaking in 1970. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#383 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#344 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
76,498
born since 1880
1960s
peak decade

Yes -- Wade is the #344 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 76,498 recorded since 1880.

Social Security Administration records show Wade recorded 76,498 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #344 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.

  • #383 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #344 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 76,498 born since 1880
  • 1960s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wade ranks #383 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #344 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 76,498 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.

#383 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#344 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
76,498
born since 1880
1960s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%97.5%
Wade vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Wade's 76,498 recorded births place it above 99.15% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

51 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.

How Wade compares

76,498 Top 3% higher than 97% of 13,930 names currently given to boys

Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.

Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data

How the numbers stack up

Wade's all-time total is 207x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Wade Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 76,498 369 358,536
Peak-year births 1,423 34 22,252

Wade's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Wade splits its recorded history at 1953: 78% of all births land in the more recent half, 22% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1908 (37 births) -- compare that against the 1970 peak of 1,423 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Wade popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025

Top 1,000 boys' name
Peak year (1970)
1,423
Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
05001,0001,500 188018991918193719561975199420132025 948

Wade popularity over time - girls

168 total births recorded since 1916 (Wade as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 168 births
4681012 19161924196019661973197719832021 5

Wade by decade

1960s is the heaviest window (12,866 births, 17% of the file).

1960s was Wade's strongest decade.

12,866 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.

Wade births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1960s at 12,866 births (17% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Wade compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Wade's total volume

Wade vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15% 100110120130140150 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -120, 2%-116, 2.8%-114, 4.5%-146, 3.6%-144, 7.2%-146, 1.5%-111, 11.3%-146, 6.1%-146, 2.8%-146, 3.7%-111, 6.9%-146, 2.3%-146, 4.7%-146, 3.4%-146, 2.9%Wade-146, 1.9%Wade
Wade vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Wade by state

Where Wade concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Wade
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Texas
5,128 6.7%
#2 California
4,690 6.1%
#3 North Carolina
4,541 5.9%
#4 Pennsylvania
3,085 4.0%
#5 Ohio
2,947 3.9%
#6 Florida
2,549 3.3%
#7 Georgia
2,420 3.2%
#8 Illinois
2,397 3.1%
Texas share of Wade's total US births 6.7%
Even split

5,128 of 76,498 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.

Wade appears in 51 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Wade? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 76,498 babies named Wade. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #383 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. In 2025, it holds #344 of 13,930 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1970, with 1,423 births.
Where does Wade sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Wade ranks #383 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #344 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Wade most popular? ▼
Wade was most popular in the 1960s decade with 12,866 total births. The single peak year was 1970.
Where is Wade most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wade are Texas (5,128 births), California (4,690 births), North Carolina (4,541 births).
How long has the name Wade been used? ▼
Wade has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Wade? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Waddell, Wadell, Wadie, Wadsworth, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Wade's data

  • Wade's usage has stayed within range of its 1960s decade-level peak (12,866 total births) through the 2020s (5,850) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
  • Texas records the most Wades (5,128 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Wade

Nearby Names Like Wade

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wade

Waddell Boy
780 births
Wadell Boy
316 births
Wadie Boy
90 births
Wadsworth Boy
76 births
Waden Boy
46 births

Compare Wade side by side: Wade vs Waddell Wade vs Wadell Wade vs Wadie

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar popularity rank to Wade

Colin #343
133,706 births · Peak 2004
Russell #345
359,780 births · Peak 1960
Jax #342
25,085 births · Peak 2015
Sterling #346
37,474 births · Peak 2025
Cairo #341
9,415 births · Peak 2022
Wells #347
6,989 births · Peak 2025
Marshall #340
97,447 births · Peak 1947
Ezequiel #348
20,811 births · Peak 2024

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Wade: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Wade draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.