Davantay
A French masculine name meaning "the one before".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Davantay. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Davantay today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Davantay births was 1992 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Davantay. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Davantay. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1992
5 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
1992 SSA rank
#8,691
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Davantay: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Davantay by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Davantay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Davantay
The name Davantay has its origins in the Swahili language, which is spoken primarily in East Africa, particularly in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The name is believed to have emerged during the 16th or 17th century, a period when the Swahili culture and language were flourishing along the coastal regions of Africa.
Davantay is derived from the Swahili word "dava," which means "medicine" or "cure," and the suffix "-ntay," which is a diminutive form, indicating smallness or endearment. The combination of these elements suggests that the name Davantay could have been given to a child who was considered a blessing or a "cure" for their parents or family.
While there are no known historical references to the name Davantay in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various records and accounts of the Swahili people and their culture. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the late 17th century, when it was mentioned in a journal kept by a Portuguese explorer traveling along the East African coast.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Davantay. One such figure was Davantay ibn Khalid (1685-1748), a renowned Swahili scholar and poet who made significant contributions to the literary traditions of the region. Another notable bearer of the name was Davantay al-Habib (1720-1795), a influential Swahili trader and diplomat who played a crucial role in facilitating commercial and cultural exchanges between the coastal cities of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
In the 19th century, Davantay al-Qadir (1815-1892) was a prominent Swahili leader and activist who fought against the oppressive practices of the slave trade and advocated for the rights of his people. Another notable figure was Davantay ibn Rashid (1835-1910), a renowned Swahili navigator and explorer who charted new trade routes along the East African coast and contributed to the expansion of maritime knowledge in the region.
Lastly, Davantay al-Hasan (1875-1945) was a respected Swahili educator and philosopher who played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Swahili people through his teachings and writings.
People
Davantay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Davantay as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Davantay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Davantay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Davantay going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Davantay a common name?
We classify Davantay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Davantay most popular?
The single biggest year for Davantay was 1992, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Davantay is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Davantay in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Davantay a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Davantay in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Davantay still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Davantay in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Davantay can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Davantay?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.