Wade Statistics
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Prevalence of the Wade Surname In the 2000 US Census, the surname Wade was the 267th most common surname in the United States, used by 0.040% of the population (e.g. about 120,000 people). By comparison Smith, the most common surname, was used by 1% of the population. Expansion of the Wade Surname in the United States

This table shows the number of Wade heads-of-household reported in the US Census from 1790-1840, by state.

State179018001810182018301840
Alabama    1734
Arkansas     7
Connecticut15121413810
Delaware   1  
District of Columbia 1 212
Florida     1
Georgia   164974
Illinois    839
Indiana   103065
Iowa     2
Kentucky  28385967
Louisiana  17511
Maine6611162630
Maryland18131410719
Massachusetts293546506269
Michigan    316
Mississippi   61230
Missouri    727
New Hampshire132332
New Jersey    4631
New York623364376121
North Carolina243635424549
Ohio   475988
Pennsylvania9720214356
Rhode Island101313151519
South Carolina111322191821
Tennessee  2257070
Vermont4435914
Virginia  6890124137
Wisconsin     1

Origins of Pennsylvania Wades

This table shows the birthplace of male Wades in Pennsylvania as reported in the 1870 census, arranged by the decade of their birthdate. At that time all Wades in Lancaster County reported Pennsylvania as their birthplace.

Birth Decade
Birthplace		1770-801780-901790-18001800-18101810-18201820-18301830-18401840-18501850-18601860-1870
Canada       2  
Germany - Baden       1  
Germany - Prussia         1
Germany - Württemberg       1  
UK - England      14  
UK - Ireland  1 288102 
USA - Connecticut     1    
USA - District of Columbia     1    
USA - Maryland   2      
USA - Massachusetts   12   2 
USA - New Jersey  1  2 1  
USA - New York   1 14434
USA - Ohio    1    1
USA - Pennsylvania11149913323659
USA - Rhode Island  1       
USA - Vermont     1    
USA - Wisconsin       1  
Total1148142326564365
% Born outside USA002501434343241
% Born outside Penna00755035605042169

Earliest Wade Immigrants

Recorded immigrants to the New World with the surname Wade in the 17th Century were as follows:

The Mythical Wade

From Jacqueline de Weever, Chaucer Name Dictionary:

The Pithrikssaga or Thidreks Saga tells that Wade was the son of King Wilkinus and a sea-woman. He grew to be a giant and became Weyland's father. He took Weyland, while he was still very young, to the dwarfs to be educated and agreed to return for him after one year. Weyland learned so quickly and became so expert in all kinds of smith work that the dwarfs decided to kill his father and to keep him in bondage to them. Wade returned early for his son, but the dwarfs killed him in a landslide. When Weyland discovered this deed, he killed the dwarfs and escaped from their country in a wonderful boat, which he constructed himself (Thidreks Saga II. Cantos 2 and 3). In the Anglo-Saxon poem Widsith 22, Wade is called "Wada Haelsingam." Wade's courtship of Hild for his king, Hetel, also involves a boat, but this one is not magical.

(In Chaucer) Januarie says that he does not want a thirty-year-old woman for his wife, for old wives know much craft "on Wades Boot". The emphasis seems to be on the special qualities of the boat. The story of Weyland may have been transferred to Wade by Chaucer's time. Januarie is tricked and deceived by the twenty-year-old May just as successfully as Wade deceived Hagen, Hild's father. After dinner at Pandarus's house, Pandarus sings, Criseyde plays, and Pandarus tells the tale of Wade. Pandarus is also deceiving Criseyde, for she does not know of the plan he has in mind for her.

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