Find out how popular the first name David has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of David by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, David is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named David being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 7,354 male babies and 8 female babies born with the name David.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 8 baby girls were named David in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name David

The name David is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It stems from the Hebrew word "דָּוִד" (Dawid), which is likely derived from the Hebrew root word "ידד" (yadad), meaning "beloved" or "friend". The name is believed to have originated in ancient Israel, around 1000 BCE or earlier.

One of the most famous historical references to the name David is in the Hebrew Bible. David was the second king of the United Monarchy of Israel and Judah, ruling from around 1010 to 970 BCE. He is revered in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions as a prophet, a righteous king, and an ancestor of Jesus.

The name David has been continuously used throughout history, with some notable examples including:

1. David I of Scotland (1084-1153), a 12th-century king of Scotland.
2. David Hume (1711-1776), a Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian.
3. David Livingstone (1813-1873), a Scottish missionary and explorer in Africa.
4. David Lloyd George (1863-1945), a British statesman and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War I.
5. David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973), the primary founder and the first Prime Minister of Israel.

The name David has been popular across various cultures and religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It has been widely used in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as in the United States and other parts of the world with significant Christian or Jewish communities.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name David was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of David, please contact us.

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