The surname "Wade" has Anglo-Saxon English origins, derived from the Middle English given name "Wade," which comes from the Old English verb "wadan" meaning "to go," or from the Old English word "(ge)waed" meaning "ford". It can also be of Irish origin, a variant of MacQuaid, or German, referring to a garment or large net. The surname is found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Scotland. In the United States, the majority of individuals with the surname Wade identify as White, although the percentage has slightly decreased from 2000 to 2010. There have been modest increases in the percentage of Wades who identify as Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander.
Notable people with the surname Wade include Abdoulaye Wade, former President of Senegal, Virginia Wade, a tennis player from the United Kingdom, and Dwyane Wade, a retired American professional basketball player. Dwyane Wade, in particular, is known as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history. He won three NBA championships with the Miami Heat and was a 13-time NBA All-Star. Since retiring from professional basketball in 2019, Wade has become a co-owner of the Utah Jazz and the host of the American adaptation of "The Cube".
