Quaid

Quaid is a boy's baby name of Irish origin, from the Irish Mac Uaid, an anglicization of a patronymic meaning 'son of Uat' — Uat being an Old Irish personal name. Dennis Quaid, the American actor known for films like The Right Stuff and The Parent Trap, has given the name its strongest contemporary association.

Quaid is an Irish surname-name with a pleasingly unusual sound — the QU- opening gives it a distinction that most names cannot claim. It has a natural confidence and brevity, sitting alongside names like Quinn, Quillan, and Quentin in the small family of Q-beginning names. The association with the acclaimed actor Dennis Quaid and his brother Randy Quaid provides Hollywood heritage alongside the Irish.