Heraldry and the McQuade Surname

McQuade began as an Irish family name. The usual explanation, from Elsdon Smith, is “the son of Wat, a pet form of Walter (rule, army)”. Like many surnames, it grew out of a personal name. Related forms include McQuaid and McQuaide.

According to the 2010 US Census, the McQuade surname had 4,430 bearers. That puts it among the top 10,000 US surnames.

A coat of arms was granted to a particular family line, not to everyone named McQuade, so a shared surname is a clue rather than a claim to the arms. For the full story, order the McQuade surname pack.