Show ContentsLade History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The founding heritage of the Lade family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Lade comes from when one of the family worked as a person who worked as a servant or a page. This surname was originally derived from the Old English word Ladde, an English occupational name for a servant. 1 2 Conversely, another source claims that name was derived differently as "in Old English and Scotch, a lade means a canal or duct for water. " 3 In this latter scenario, the name would have been again an occupational name for one who works or lives near a canal.

Early Origins of the Lade family

The surname Lade was first found in Somerset where Godric Ladda was one of the first records of the name c. 1100. Later Richard Ladde was listed in Northumberland c. 1175 and Walter le Ladd was listed in Kent. 1 The Hundredorum Rolls of lists: Roger Ladde in Huntingdonshire and Thomas Ladde in Cambridgeshire. 2

Early History of the Lade family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lade research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1664 is included under the topic Early Lade History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lade Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Lade has been spelled many different ways, including Ladd, Ladde, Laddey, Ladds, Lade, Ladey, Laddy and others.

Early Notables of the Lade family

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

Lade Ranking

In the United States, the name Lade is the 18,141st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Lade family to Ireland

Some of the Lade family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Lade migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Lades to arrive in North America:

Lade Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Lade, who landed in America in 1654-1679 5
  • Sarah Lade, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 5
  • Alice Lade, aged 21, who landed in America in 1686 5
Lade Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Fried. Lade, (Laade), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Apollo"
  • Mrs. Elisa Lade, (nee Schueler, Laade), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Apollo"
  • Mr. Hein. Lade, (Laade), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Apollo"
  • Mr. Christoph Lade, (Laade), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Apollo"
  • James Lade, who arrived in Virginia in 1884 5

Australia Lade migration to Australia +

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

Lade Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Lade, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Glenswilly" in 1839 6

West Indies Lade migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7
Lade Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Robert Lade, aged 21, who landed in St Christopher in 1635 5
  • William Lade, who settled in Barbados in 1654

Contemporary Notables of the name Lade (post 1700) +

  • Joseph Lade Pawsey (1908-1962), Australian engineer, radiophysicist, and radio astronomer, eponym of the Pawsey Medal


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GLENSWILLY 1839 (also called DAWSONS). Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Glenswilly.htm
  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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