Given name
Tad
“having heart”
Tad is a short form of Thaddeus. One Aramaic interpretation is “having heart.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Tad is a short form of Thaddeus. One Aramaic interpretation is “having heart.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Tad is a short form of Thaddeus. Thaddeus has been associated with Aramaic and Greek naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Tad is a diminutive of Thaddeus. In English usage, Tad is a diminutive of Thaddaeus.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tad through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,929
- 6,929 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1966
- 265 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #7,619 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,619 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 17.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 265 in 1966. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,844 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tad’s family of names
In English usage, Tad is a diminutive of Thaddeus. Tad is an English adaptation of Tadhg. Tad is a short form of Thaddeus.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Tad
- Tad WilliamsAmerican fantasy and science fiction writer (born 1957)
- Tad MoselAmerican playwright (1922–2008)
- Tad DorganAmerican cartoonist (1877-1929)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tad, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tal
“covered with the morning's dew”
85% boys · 15% girls
Todd
“resembling a fox”
>99% boys
Ladd
“a servant; a young man”
>99% boys
Ted
“a gift from God” · “having heart”
>99% boys
Brad
“one who has broad shoulders”
>99% boys
Tim
“one who honors God” · “a respected man”
>99% boys
Chad
“one who is warlike”
>99% boys
Timmy
“one who honors God”
>99% boys