Chad
Chad was the 1701st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 96 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 25th with 13,392 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 941 places. More babies were named Chad in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning Old English saint's name (meaning obscure) · Old English
Say it CHAD /tʃæd/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,701 boys, down 460 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 96boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 197213,392 babies
- Total since 1880
- 241,767babies recorded
What does the name Chad mean?
Chad comes from Old English Ceadda, the name of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop and saint, as Wiktionary notes; its meaning is obscure, and a Celtic origin (perhaps Welsh cad 'battle') has been suggested. The name was revived in the 20th century and became popular in the US in the 1970s. Since the 1990s 'Chad' has also been slang for a stereotyped confident young man.
Ceadda (Old English, “saint's name”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Wiktionary: of obscure meaning.
Related names: Chadwick, Ceadda.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Chad', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Chad popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,039 since 1966.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,701 | 96 |
| 2020 | #1,241 | 150 |
| 2010 | #545 | 463 |
| 2000 | #236 | 1,453 |
| 1990 | #85 | 4,351 |
| 1980 | #39 | 10,142 |
| 1970 | #51 | 6,628 |
| 1960 | #494 | 255 |
| 1950 | #838 | 66 |
| 1940 | #1,408 | 23 |
| 1930 | #3,063 | 8 |
| 1920 | #2,802 | 10 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Chad, counting every spelling?
Chad is the most common spelling of a name family that had 96 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 96 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chad | 96 | #1,701 | 584 |
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 Chad?
96 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Chad (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Chad 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 87 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Chad.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Chad?
About 219,900 people born in the US named Chad are alive today, with a median age of 47; half are between 40 and 52. That makes Chad mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Chad by state
How common Chad was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (5.3×), Pennsylvania (2.0×), Ohio (1.9×), Florida (1.5×). In 37 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Chad: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Chad, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Chad · Sibling names for Chad
Questions about the name Chad
What does Chad mean?
Chad is usually explained as “Old English saint's name (meaning obscure)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Chad?
Chad was the 1701st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 96 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 25th with 13,392 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 941 places. More babies were named Chad in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Chad a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Chad in the US.
Where is Chad most popular?
In 2021–2025, Chad was most common in Louisiana (0.36 per 1,000 boys), followed by Pennsylvania and Ohio.