Tad
Boy name · American · Celtic · English · Greek · Latin
- US rank
- #7,194
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #470 in 1966
11 babies were named Tad in the US in 2025. It has climbed 308 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1912–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Tad you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Tad
Tad Williams
American fantasy and science fiction writer (born 1957)
Choose Tad and your child shares a first name with Tad Williams, an American fantasy and science fiction writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Tad, like who?” Tad Williams's Wikipedia article is available in 26 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Tad Williams on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Jaramo81, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 156,250 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Tad, 11 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Tad would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryTad first shows up in US birth records in 1912, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 113 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1966, when it ranked #470. Today it's #7,194, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowTad was 2.5× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 63,291 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 156,250.
- TrendTad has climbed 308 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #7,194. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
About the name Tad
Tad is a boy name of American, Celtic and English origin. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with T and ending in “-tad”. US birth records list Tad for boys from 1912 to 2025, in 112 of those 114 years. Its best year was 1966, when it ranked #470 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #7,194, with 11 babies.
Origin:American namesCeltic namesEnglish namesGreek namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6.4 | 157,171 boys |
| 1920s | 8.7 | 114,416 boys |
| 1930s | 12 | 85,397 boys |
| 1940s | 14 | 73,421 boys |
| 1950s | 39 | 25,961 boys |
| 1960s | 99 | 10,147 boys |
| 1970s | 93 | 10,699 boys |
| 1980s | 56 | 17,848 boys |
| 1990s | 34 | 29,155 boys |
| 2000s | 16 | 62,696 boys |
| 2010s | 9.0 | 110,619 boys |
| 2020s | 6.8 | 148,148 boys |
Other spellings of Tad
More American boy names
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: Maverick · independent, unbranded
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Unisex name: Jace · healer
- Boy name: Jaxon · son of Jack
- Boy name: Milo · possibly gracious
- Boy name: Bryson · son of Brice
- Boy name: Louis · famous warrior
Questions about the name Tad
What is the origin of the name Tad?
Tad has American, Celtic, English, Greek, Latin roots in our records. Other American names include Henry, Maverick, Kai.
Is Tad a boy or girl name?
Tad is a boy name.
How popular is the name Tad?
Tad ranked #7,194 for US boys in 2025, given to 11 babies. Its best year was 1966 (#470).