David first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name David has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of David

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".

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 2024, there were 7,317 male babies and 7 female babies born with the name David.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 7 baby girls were named David in 2024, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year	Male Count	Female Count
2024	7,317	7
2023	7,354	8
2022	7,741	5
2021	7,903	11
2020	8,238	10
2019	8,969	12
2018	9,795	13
2017	10,222	9
2016	11,142	15
2015	11,821	19
2014	12,243	13
2013	12,381	15
2012	12,553	18
2011	13,244	19
2010	14,215	25
2009	15,450	16
2008	16,338	22
2007	17,556	24
2006	17,653	30
2005	18,133	25
2004	18,400	66
2003	18,631	31
2002	18,697	38
2001	19,361	41
2000	19,785	44
1999	20,349	43
1998	20,889	42
1997	21,894	37
1996	23,020	62
1995	23,041	69
1994	24,869	76
1993	27,037	89
1992	28,419	117
1991	30,417	94
1990	33,743	120
1989	35,223	148
1988	35,324	250
1987	36,798	252
1986	37,154	274
1985	38,529	290
1984	38,490	235
1983	39,205	321
1982	40,458	250
1981	40,658	224
1980	41,900	291
1979	42,066	285
1978	40,699	245
1977	40,522	253
1976	39,281	229
1975	39,173	237

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One of the most famous historical references to the name David is in the Hebrew Bible.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:

David I of Scotland (1084-1153), a 12th-century king of Scotland.
David Hume (1711-1776), a Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian.
David Livingstone (1813-1873), a Scottish missionary and explorer in Africa.
David Lloyd George (1863-1945), a British statesman and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War I.
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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