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McDade History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

McDade History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The Irish McDade surname is derived from the Irish Gaelic Patronymic name "Mac Daibheid," which means son of David.

Early Origins of the McDade family

The surname McDade was first found in on the Inishowen peninsula, in County Donegal, where a sept of this name claim David O'Doherty (d. 1208,) a chief of Cenel Eoghain, as their ancestor.

Early History of the McDade family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McDade research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McDade History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDade Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname McDade that are preserved in archival documents are MacDaid, MacDavid, McDavid, Dade, MacDade, Devitt, MacDevitt, MacDavitt and many more.

Early Notables of the McDade family

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

McDade Ranking

In the United States, the name McDade is the 4,489^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

McDade migration to the United States +

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the McDade name:

McDade Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Owen McDade, aged 28, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 2
James McDade, aged 22, who arrived in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1804 2
Cornelius McDade, aged 49, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
Arthur McDade, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1844
Thomas McDade, who settled in Philadelphia in 1849
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDade migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McDade Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Francis McDade, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Salus" in 1833
Elizabeth McDade, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1833
Nancy McDade, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1833
Mary McDade, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1833
William McDade, aged 16, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDade migration to Australia +

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

McDade Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Andrew McDade, aged 31, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Nugget" 3

McDade migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

McDade Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Margaret McDade, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jubilee" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name McDade (post 1700) +

Joseph Michael "Joe" McDade (1931-2017), American politician, Member of the United States House of Representatives (1963-1999)
Joe Billy McDade (b. 1937), United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
Staff Sergeant Aubrey L. McDade Jr., United States Marine who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions
Robert Alexander McDade (1922-2009), United States Army officer, recipient three Purple Hearts and two Silver Stars
George Manning McDade (1893-1966), Canadian politician, lawyer, and journalist
Brigadier Lyn McDade, Australian Army officer, Director of Military Prosecutions
Wayne McDade (b. 1981), New Zealand rugby league player
Solon McDade (b. 1974), Canadian musician and composer
Jeremiah McDade (b. 1977), Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer
John McDade Howell (1922-2016), American academic, 7th Chancellor of East Carolina University

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
South Australian Register Tuesday 4th July 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Nugget 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/nugget1854.shtml