Heade

Heade is a toponym and surname of Germanic origin. In place-name usage, Heade refers to a characteristic landscape feature—a heath, an enclosure, or a boundary area—reflecting Old High German hag or Dutch heide meaning heath or enclosure. The name has appeared in medieval charters and property records across regions that are now part of northern Germany and the Netherlands. In some cases, settlements bearing the name were small hamlets or farmsteads associated with manor estates. Over time, many such places disappeared or were absorbed into larger administrative units, while the spelling varied through the centuries, with forms such as Heade, Heede, or Heide recorded in different locales.

As a surname, Heade likely originated from a toponymic source, indicating descent from or association with a place named Heade. Surname forms in historic documents often reflect regional dialects and spelling practices. In genealogical studies, bearers of the name have been traced to parts of the Low Countries and northern Germany, with distributions evolving through migration, settlement, and administrative change.

In modern usage, Heade is uncommon as a given name but persists in family names and in some local place-names. The name is related to other Germanic toponyms such as Heide and Heid, which share the same linguistic roots.

There is no widely recognized contemporary city or major landmark named Heade; references typically pertain to historical place-names or to people bearing the surname.