The noun lad has 2 senses (first 2 from tagged texts)
1. (4) chap, fellow, feller, lad, gent, fella, blighter, cuss -- (a boy or man; "that chap is your host"; "there's a fellow at the door"; "he's a likable cuss")
2. (1) cub, lad, laddie, sonny, sonny boy -- (a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy))