NameCensus.

UK surname

Dade

Likely derived from the Old English given name "Dæd," meaning "deed, action, or exploit."

In the 1881 census there were 427 people recorded with the Dade surname, ranking it #7,608 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 687, ranked #7,817, down from #7,608 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Saxlingham Thorpe, Saxlingham Nethergate and Burgate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Fenland and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dade is 738 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.9%.

1881 census count

427

Ranked #7,608

Modern count

687

2016, ranked #7,817

Peak year

1911

738 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dade had 427 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,608 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 687 in 2016, ranked #7,817.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 738 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dade surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dade surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dade surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dade over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 341 #6,892
1861 historical 363 #7,045
1881 historical 427 #7,608
1891 historical 519 #7,208
1901 historical 639 #6,730
1911 historical 738 #5,810
1997 modern 698 #7,262
1998 modern 716 #7,347
1999 modern 721 #7,354
2000 modern 722 #7,330
2001 modern 698 #7,385
2002 modern 724 #7,318
2003 modern 703 #7,367
2004 modern 703 #7,367
2005 modern 675 #7,556
2006 modern 645 #7,853
2007 modern 674 #7,666
2008 modern 672 #7,711
2009 modern 699 #7,647
2010 modern 700 #7,778
2011 modern 677 #7,893
2012 modern 673 #7,859
2013 modern 688 #7,838
2014 modern 695 #7,813
2015 modern 690 #7,811
2016 modern 687 #7,817

Geography

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Where Dades are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Saxlingham Thorpe, Saxlingham Nethergate, Burgate, Bildeston or Bilston, Naughton, Nedging and Staple Fitzpaine, Bickenhall, Curland,Hatch Beauchamp, Isle Abbots, Isle Brewers, Bredon, Puckington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Fenland, Mid Suffolk and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Saxlingham Thorpe, Saxlingham Nethergate Norfolk
3 Burgate Suffolk
4 Bildeston or Bilston, Naughton, Nedging Suffolk
5 Staple Fitzpaine, Bickenhall, Curland,Hatch Beauchamp, Isle Abbots, Isle Brewers, Bredon, Puckington Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
2 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk
3 Fenland 004 Fenland
4 Mid Suffolk 001 Mid Suffolk
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 001 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dade

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dade surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dade

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dade, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Dade surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dade household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dade is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dade is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dade falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dade is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dade, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dade

The surname Dade originated in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dudd," which means a round, knobby hill or clump. This suggests that the name was originally a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near a prominent hillock or mound.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dade surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from the year 1195, where a person named Willelmus de Dode is mentioned. The de prefix indicates that the name was likely a locative surname at that time.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Richard de Dode from Oxfordshire. This record demonstrates that the name was present in different regions of England during the medieval period.

The Dade surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1327, where a John de Dode is listed. The variation in spelling, such as Dode and Dade, was common during this era due to the inconsistencies in written records.

A notable historical figure bearing the Dade surname was Sir John Dade, a Member of Parliament for Winchelsea in the late 16th century. He was born around 1530 and served as a judge during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual was William Dade, an English soldier and explorer who was born in the early 17th century. He participated in the colonization efforts in Virginia and is remembered for his role in the Dade's Massacre, a tragic encounter with Native Americans in 1615.

In the 18th century, Reverend William Dade, born in 1681, was a Church of England clergyman and author. He published several religious works and served as the rector of Basted and Brenchley in Kent.

Francis Dade, born in 1786, was a British army officer who was killed in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1835. The Dade County in Florida was named in his honor, which later became the present-day Miami-Dade County.

Lastly, Charles Dade, born in 1822, was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Holborn Viaduct and the Royal Institute of British Architects headquarters.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dade families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dade surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Suffolk leads with 112 Dades recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.97x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 112 21.97x
Norfolk 101 15.70x
Surrey 64 3.14x
Somerset 51 7.57x
Middlesex 30 0.72x
Cambridgeshire 16 6.04x
Lincolnshire 8 1.20x
Hampshire 7 0.82x
Essex 6 0.73x
Wiltshire 5 1.35x
Kent 4 0.28x
Lancashire 4 0.08x
Devon 3 0.34x
Dorset 3 1.09x
Worcestershire 3 0.55x
Yorkshire 3 0.07x
Lanarkshire 2 0.15x
Staffordshire 2 0.14x
Bedfordshire 1 0.46x
Channel Islands 1 0.81x
Gloucestershire 1 0.12x
Oxfordshire 1 0.39x
Royal Navy 1 2.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burgate in Suffolk leads with 22 Dades recorded in 1881 and an index of 5365.85x.

Place Total Index
Burgate 22 5365.85x
Saxlingham Nethergate 21 2763.16x
Yeovil 19 138.79x
Camberwell 17 6.36x
Lambeth 15 4.11x
Palgrave 15 1401.87x
Barrington 14 2333.33x
Wisbech St Mary 13 427.63x
Old Buckenham 10 606.06x
Syleham 10 2500.00x
Eye 9 273.56x
Clapham 8 15.29x
Huntspill 8 289.86x
Nedging 8 3200.00x
Shottesham St Mary 8 1777.78x
Wrentham 8 567.38x
Battersea 7 4.55x
Hunstanton 7 322.58x
Ipswich St Mathew 7 49.02x
Wacton 7 2058.82x
Mortlake 6 66.01x
Norwich St Stephen 6 101.52x
St Katherine Coleman 6 1500.00x
Twerton 6 86.33x
Hevingham 5 458.72x
Saffron Walden 5 57.27x
St Michael Lincoln 5 276.24x
St Pancras London 5 1.48x
Westleton 5 416.67x
Croydon 4 3.53x
Hardwick 4 1428.57x
Hethersett 4 245.40x
Hoxne 4 275.86x
Penge 4 14.96x
Redenhall 4 160.00x
St Marylebone London 4 1.79x
Swindon 4 13.93x
Taverham 4 1333.33x
Tottenham 4 6.00x
Cheetham 3 8.10x
Ipswich St Clement 3 23.15x
Ipswich St Margaret 3 17.35x
Kensington London 3 1.29x
Lowestoft 3 12.46x
Naughton 3 1304.35x
Norwich St Clement 3 40.21x
Portsea 3 1.78x
Radipole 3 157.89x
Wortham 3 220.59x
Arrington 2 571.43x
Brimpton 2 1250.00x
Bungay Holy Trinity 2 76.34x
Crowland 2 47.62x
Dover St Mary Virgin 2 14.47x
East Stonehouse 2 11.66x
Great Malvern 2 17.54x
Great Yarmouth 2 3.75x
Gresham 2 363.64x
Heigham 2 5.79x
Hornsey 2 3.78x
Islington London 2 0.49x
Woodbridge 2 30.67x
Banham 1 60.98x
Barony 1 0.29x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 1.29x
Brome 1 270.27x
Dorking 1 7.30x
Glasgow 1 0.42x
Hilperton 1 84.75x
Horsham St Faith 1 93.46x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 12.94x
Lee 1 4.82x
Norwich St Etheldred 1 109.89x
Norwich St Michael At 1 26.81x
Rochester St Nicholas 1 22.52x
Royal Navy 1 2.35x
St Martin Lincoln 1 16.10x
Swainsthorpe 1 232.56x
West Coker 1 72.99x
Woodstock 1 61.73x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dade surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dade surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 27
John 21
Charles 17
George 12
Robert 12
Harry 9
Arthur 8
Henry 8
James 6
Walter 5
Wm. 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Joseph 4
Samuel 4
Thomas 4
David 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Edward 2
Frank 2
Lewis 2
Selim 2
Able 1
Cezar 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Ephram 1
Ephriam 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harrey 1
Helmuth 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Johnathan 1
Joshua 1
Sam 1
Saml.E. 1
Samson 1
Seymor 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1
Willm.A. 1
Willm.J. 1
Willoughby 1

FAQ

Dade surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dade surname in 1881?

In 1881, 427 people were recorded with the Dade surname. That placed it at #7,608 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dade surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 687 in 2016. That gives Dade a modern rank of #7,817.

What does the Dade surname mean?

Likely derived from the Old English given name "Dæd," meaning "deed, action, or exploit."

What does the Dade map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dade bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.