This interesting name is of medieval Irish origin and is the Anglicization of the Gaelic 'MacDaibheid', mac denoting 'son of' David, and is also found as MacDevitt, MacDavitt McDade, McDaid and Davison, but in its homeland, Donegal and Derry, it is generally in the form of MacDaid or MadDade. The family of MacDevitt or MacDade are said to have descended from David O'Doherty, a chief of Cinel Conaill, who was killed in 1208, and grew to be numerous in Inishowen. David is a Hebrew male given name meaning 'beloved'. McDade is also a fairly common name in Glasgow, Scotland. Amongst the sample recordings in Ireland are the following christenings, William John McDade on July 24th 1833 at Dromore, County Down, and Mary Ann McDade on September 13th 1840 at Ballymoney, Antrim. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth McDeid, marriage to Barnaby Hargan, which was dated November 12th 1750, at Drumachose, Londonderry, during the reign of King George 11, known as 'The Last Warrior King', 1727-1760. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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