Cade
Cade was the 248th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,392 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 201st with 1,811 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 116 places. More babies were named Cade in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English
Say it KAYD /keɪd/
- Rank in 2025
- #248 boys, up 128 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,392boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20011,811 babies
- Total since 1880
- 34,918babies recorded
What does the name Cade mean?
Cade is an English surname with several possible sources. Wiktionary lists an Old English personal name Cada, from a Germanic root meaning "lump"; an occupational name for a cooper, from Old French cade, "cask"; and a nickname from the dialect word cade, a pet or hand-reared animal. Bardsley (1901) treats Cade as an early personal name, also found in place names such as Cadeby. It is best known from Jack Cade, leader of the 1450 Kentish rebellion. Its use as a first name is modern, and the spelling Kade is common in the US.
Cada (Old English, “personal name (Germanic root 'lump')”)cade (Old French, “cask, barrel”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several surname origins are possible and individual families cannot be told apart.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cade', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (1901), s.v. 'Cade', Henry Frowde (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Cade popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 146 since 1996, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #248 | 1,392 |
| 2020 | #376 | 823 |
| 2010 | #330 | 949 |
| 2000 | #216 | 1,646 |
| 1990 | #882 | 136 |
| 1980 | #1,134 | 64 |
| 1970 | #3,308 | 9 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cade, counting every spelling?
Cade is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #171 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #248 for Cade on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,335 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cade | 1,392 | #248 | 6,006 |
| Kade | 943 | #349 | 4,660 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cade?
1,392 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cade (0.39 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cade born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cade.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cade?
About 34,200 people born in the US named Cade are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 9 and 25. That makes Cade mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cade by state
How common Cade was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (2.6×), Ohio (2.4×), Iowa (2.1×), North Dakota (2.1×), West Virginia (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Delaware, New Jersey, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cade: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cade, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Cade · Sibling names for Cade
Questions about the name Cade
What does Cade mean?
The origin of Cade is uncertain: several surname origins are possible and individual families cannot be told apart.
How popular is the name Cade?
Cade was the 248th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,392 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 201st with 1,811 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 116 places. More babies were named Cade in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Cade a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cade in the US.
Where is Cade most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cade was most common in Michigan (1.80 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and Ohio.