Chad comes from the Old English Ceadda, a name of uncertain, probably Celtic origin that is usually linked to the Welsh cad, "battle". It was borne by St. Chad, a 7th-century bishop of Mercia whose feast day is March 2, and was revived in the 20th century. Chad was a top 100 name in the 1970s; it ranked number 236 in 2000, dropped out of the top 1000 in 2019 and stands at number 1701 in 2025.