Kade is a modern American spelling of Cade, an English surname that was originally a nickname meaning "round" or "lumpy", or that comes from an Old English personal name; many parents simply like it as a short, strong name in the vein of Kai and Cole. The spelling with a K took hold in the 1990s. Kade has been in the US top 1000 throughout this century, ranking number 417 in 2000 and number 349 in 2025.