Cade

The surname first appears in 12th-century English parish rolls, and its most infamous medieval bearer was Jack Cade, the Kentish rebel who led a popular uprising against the government of Henry VI in 1450.

Though the revolt collapsed after Cade was slain near Heathfield, his name passed into English historical memory and was later dramatized by Shakespeare.

Shakespeare devoted substantial scenes to the rebellion in Henry VI, Part 2 (written around 1591), where Cade appears as a demagogic but vivid stage figure whose followers famously threaten to “kill all the lawyers.” The name later surfaced in

American Western fiction and film, most notably in the 1957 film 3:10 to Yuma, whose outlaw protagonist Ben Wade popularized the short, hard-edged sound for a new generation.

Cade entered the U.S. SSA top 1000 in 1992 and climbed steadily through the 2000s, peaking around number 215 in 2008.

The name has remained a consistent choice across the American South and Mountain West, where single-syllable surname-style names hold particular appeal.

It is far less common in the United Kingdom, where its surname origins keep it largely untransferred to first-name use.

Contemporary bearers include NFL linebacker Cade York and country musician Cade Foehner.