Davis first name popularity, history and meaning

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

Meaning of Davis

A masculine name derived from the Hebrew word "David", meaning "beloved".

Popularity of Davis by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Davis is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 97% of people named Davis being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 454 male babies and 23 female babies born with the name Davis.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 23 baby girls were named Davis in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 454 23
2022 437 36
2021 507 19
2020 510 34
2019 529 24
2018 561 31
2017 586 34
2016 620 27
2015 627 24
2014 666 23
2013 648 19
2012 684 31
2011 628 15
2010 657 17
2009 665 13
2008 725 16
2007 756 17
2006 732 18
2005 730 18
2004 743 26
2003 704 19
2002 667 18
2001 733 17
2000 681 26
1999 704 17
1998 676 12
1997 645 15
1996 567 21
1995 560 7
1994 542 12
1993 457 12
1992 392 10
1991 297 10
1990 280 11
1989 290 8
1988 272 9
1987 250 5
1986 240 6
1985 181 0
1984 178 0
1983 158 0
1982 172 0
1981 160 5
1980 140 6
1979 134 0
1978 124 0
1977 114 5
1976 114 0
1975 100 6
1974 85 0

The history of the first name Davis

The name Davis originated as an English surname derived from the given name David, which has Hebrew roots meaning "beloved". It emerged as a common first name in use during the Middle Ages, between the 5th and 15th centuries.

The name Davis can be traced back to the biblical figure King David, a ruler of ancient Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. Born around 1040 BCE, he was renowned for slaying the giant Goliah and later becoming the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the first name Davis was Davis Dolben, an English bishop and clergyman born in 1640. He served as the Bishop of Bangor and later became the Bishop of New Sarum (Salisbury) in the late 17th century.

Another notable Davis from history was Davis Mell Gregg (1833-1916), a American military officer who fought for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He achieved the rank of Major General and participated in several key battles, including the Battle of Fredericksburg.

In the field of science, Davis Grubb (1919-1980) was an American author and novelist best known for his novel "Night of the Hunter", which was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film. He was born in Muncie, Indiana and his works often explored themes of good versus evil.

Davis Love III (born 1964) is a professional golfer from the United States who has won numerous PGA Tour events, including the 1997 PGA Championship. He has also represented the United States in several Ryder Cup competitions.

Finally, Davis Guggenheim (born 1963) is an American filmmaker and documentary director, best known for his Academy Award-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth" about former Vice President Al Gore's campaign to raise awareness of global warming.

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 Davis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Davis first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/davis-meaning-and-history/.

"Davis first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/davis-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Davis first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/davis-meaning-and-history/.

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