The first name Chad
A boy’s name from English meaning “alpha male”, “successful white man”, “yuppie”.
Pronounced /t͡ʃæd/ 1 syllable Male
Meaning and origin
English origin
Chad means “alpha male”, “successful white man”, “yuppie” in English.
From Middle English Chadde, from Old English Ċeadda, of obscure meaning; name of a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon saint, revived in the 20th century. The sense of “alpha male” originates from an apparent stereotype that men with such a name tend to bear that temperament, first attested in c. late 1990s in Chicago, Illinois (specifically "successful white man, yuppie"), but in common usage only as of the late 2010s via 4chan and California slang.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 4 boys were named Chad, making it the 4,275th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 115 births (#248).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Chad with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Chad at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 96 boys born in the United States were named Chad, the 1,701st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1972, when 13,392 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Chad
- Chaddy
Other spellings and forms
- Tchad
Famous people named Chad
61 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Chad Michael MurrayAmerican actor, born 1981
- Chad HurleyAmerican businessman, co-founder of YouTube, born 1977
- Chad SmithAmerican drummer, born 1961
- Chad KroegerCanadian rock musician, born 1974
- Chad ColemanAmerican actor, born 1974
- Chad StahelskiAmerican stuntman and film director, born 1968
- Chad AllenActor, born 1974
- Chad LindbergAmerican actor, born 1976
- Chad EverettAmerican actor (1937–2012)
- Chad ChanningAmerican musician, born 1967
- Chad HedrickAmerican speed skater, born 1977
- Chad of MerciaArchbishop of York; Bishop of Lichfield, 634–672
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Chad mean?
- Chad means “alpha male”, “successful white man”, “yuppie” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Chad?
- From Middle English Chadde, from Old English Ċeadda, of obscure meaning; name of a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon saint, revived in the 20th century. The sense of “alpha male” originates from an apparent stereotype that men with such a name tend to bear that temperament, first attested in c. late…
- How popular is the name Chad?
- In 2025, 4 boys born in England and Wales were named Chad, ranking 4,275th. Its peak was 1996, with 115 births.
- What are nicknames for Chad?
- Common nicknames for Chad include Chaddy.
- Is Chad a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 241,767 US babies named Chad since 1880 were boys.
- When was Chad most popular?
- 1972 in the United States, when 13,392 babies were named Chad, its highest rank at 25th.
- How do you pronounce Chad?
- Chad is /t͡ʃæd/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Chad?
- Tchad.