Given name & surname
Quaid
“the commander of the army”
Quaid is a form of Walter. One German interpretation is “the commander of the army.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Irish use, Quaid carries the interpretation “the commander of the army.” Quaid is a form of Walter. One German interpretation is “the commander of the army.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Irish.
How it developed
Quaid is used as a form of Walter.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Quaid through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 914
- 914 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 37 babies
- 2025
- 20
- #5,001 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −27%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 20 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,001 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 26.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 777 as a first name in 2020; 846 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Quaid’s family of names
Quaid is a form of Walter. Quaid has a related form in Quaed. Quaid has a related form in Quaede.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Quaid, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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85% boys · 15% girls