Show ContentsEads History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Eads

What does the name Eads mean?

The origins of the name Eads are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the son of Ede, as Edison, which was later shortened to Eadie. The surname Eads originally derived from the Old English word Eade which referred to abundant riches.However, another reference claims that the name was derived from the Middle English name Edwy and the Old English word Eadwig which are composed of the elements ead meaning prosperity and wig which meant war. 1 2

Early Origins of the Eads family

The surname Eads was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the name is found as a surname only: Eddiva, Aediva pulchra. 3 Later Stephen Edy was recorded in the Gloucestershire in 1278. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 reveled more early spelling of the name: Edde (no personal name listed) in Norfolk; Edde filius Hugh in Huntingdonshire; William filius Ede in Suffolk; Robert filius Ede in Huntingdonshire; and William Ede in Norfolk. 5

"Eade is an ancient Suffolk name. In the form of Ede it occurred in this county, as well as in Norfolk, in the reign of Edward I., and in this form it was, at the same time, numerous in the neighbouring county of Huntingdonshire. Under "Sussex" reference will be found to this name in that county. Eades is a name now found in Bedfordshire, whilst Ede is found in Cornwall. The ancient name of Eade has long been in Sussex. In 1203 John Eade bought half a messuage for twenty shillings in the parish of Steyning." 6

Early History of the Eads family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eads research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1379, 1500, 1555, 1565, 1566, 1603, 1604, 1609, 1667, 1686 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Eads History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eads Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Eads family name include Eadie, Eades, Edey, Eadey, Eddy, Edeson, Edison and others.

Early Notables of the Eads family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Eedes or Edes (1555-1604), Dean of Worcester, born probably in Bedfordshire in 1555 of an old family which had been long seated at Sewell in...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eads Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eads Ranking

In the United States, the name Eads is the 4,803rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Eads family to Ireland

Some of the Eads family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Eads migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Eads surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Eads Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Sarah Eads, who landed in Virginia in 1714 8
  • John Eads, who landed in Georgia in 1741 8
Eads Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lawrence Eads, aged 28, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1832 8
  • Eads, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
Eads Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Louis Eads, who immigrated to America, in 1905
  • Mary E. Eads, aged 46, who landed in America, in 1909
  • Euanos Eads, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
  • Robert Eads, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
  • Arch Henry Eads, who settled in America from Soton, in 1919
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Eads (post 1700) +

  • Robert Eads (b. 1952), American Major League Baseball player
  • James Eads (1874-1930), American organizer of the hobo community in the early 20th century
  • Wendell W Eads (1923-1997), American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey
  • George Coleman Eads (b. 1967), American actor
  • James Buchanan Eads (1820-1887), American structural engineer and inventor
  • William H. Eads, American politician, Delegate to Indiana State Constitutional Convention, 1816 9
  • John D. Eads, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1932 9
  • H. L. Eads, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1912 9
  • George W. Eads, American Republican politician, Chair of Fayette County Republican Party, 1962-63 9
  • Edna Eads, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1964 9


  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook