Kade

Kade is a slight modification the English surname Cade, derived from the medieval epithet “Cada” which itself originated from a Germanic word meaning ‘round, lumpy’. This pre-7th century nickname would have been used for a stout person. Alternately, but less likely, the surname developed from the Middle English word “cade” meaning ‘pet, domesticated animal’. In this case, the nickname would have been used for a gentle, harmless person. The surname dates back to the 12th century England. Cade is also sometimes considered a short form of the Scottish-Gaelic name Caden. The first name Cade notably appeared as a minor character in Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel “Gone with the Wind”. Cade Calvert was a southern boy from a good family who Scarlett’s father wished her to marry early on in the novel but whom Scarlett “wouldn’t have on a silver tray.” Cade returns from the Civil War a broken man with terminal tuberculosis. Still, it’s probably the first time Americans were introduced to Cade as a given name. The Southerners pretty much started the trend of using surnames as first names in the United States. Americans are also most notorious for changing the spellings of names. Going from Cade to Kade is one example of this. Kade could also be considered a nickname for Kaden (also a respelling of Caden) or Kadence (respelling of Cadence).