Show ContentsMcWade History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of McWade was Mac Uaid, which means son of Wat.

Early Origins of the McWade family

The surname McWade was first found in County Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) located in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster.

Early History of the McWade family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McWade research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1750 is included under the topic Early McWade History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McWade Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name McWade revealed spelling variations, including McQuaid, McQuade, McWade, McQuid, McQuoid, McQuaide and many more.

Early Notables of the McWade family

More information is included under the topic Early McWade Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Canada McWade migration to Canada +

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of McWade:

McWade Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Danl McWade, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749

Australia McWade migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McWade Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name McWade (post 1700) +

  • Margaret McWade (1871-1956), born Margaret May Fish, an American stage and film actress, wife of Edward McWade
  • Robert McWade Sr. (1835-1913), American actor and father to Robert McWade and Edward McWade
  • Robert McWade (1872-1938), American stage and film actor who appeared in at least 38 Broadway productions and in 83 films between 1924 and 1938, younger brother of Edward McWade
  • Edward McWade (1865-1943), American writer, stage actor and film actor
  • Charlie McWade (b. 1974), American television and film actor, best known for his role in the television series Third Watch as NYPD Officer Steve Gusler
  • Robert M. McWade, American politician, U.S. Consul in Canton, 1903 2


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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