2000
#3,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,816
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.27
Uncommon Last name
Davey
A patronymic surname derived from the given name David, meaning "beloved" or "friend" in Hebrew.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,182 Americans carry the last name Davey. That puts it at #3,887 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,663 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Davey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Davey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,663
Census rank
#3,887
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,879 bearers of the surname Davey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3887th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Davey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Davey
The surname Davey is of English origin and is a variation of the name David. It first emerged in the 12th century as a diminutive form of the name David, meaning "beloved" in Hebrew.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Davey appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1201, where it is listed as Davi. Other early spellings include Davye, Davy, and Davye.
The name Davey is often associated with the county of Yorkshire, where it was particularly prevalent in the medieval period. It is believed that many Davey families originated from the Yorkshire village of Davey, now known as Dairycoates.
One of the earliest notable people with the surname Davey was John Davey, a 14th-century English prelate who served as Bishop of Salisbury from 1329 to 1341.
In the 16th century, the name Davey gained prominence with the rise of the Davey family of Credy, Devon. This family produced several notable individuals, including Sir John Davey (1545-1619), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1603.
Another prominent figure with the surname Davey was Sir Humphrey Davey (1778-1829), an English chemist and inventor who is best known for his contributions to the study of electrochemistry and the discovery of several elements, including potassium and sodium.
In the 19th century, the name Davey was associated with the English botanist and horticulturist, John Davey (1763-1838), who is credited with introducing the Davey Tree Expert Company, which became one of the largest tree care companies in the United States.
Other notable individuals with the surname Davey include the English cricketer, Maurice Davey (1885-1958), who played for Somerset County Cricket Club, and the American politician, Ralph Davey (1896-1976), who served as the 43rd Governor of Idaho.
Throughout its history, the surname Davey has been associated with various place names, such as Davey's Court in London and Davey's Creek in New South Wales, Australia, further highlighting its widespread presence and significance across different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Davey
Among Census respondents with the surname Davey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Davey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Davey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 7,624
- Black or African American4.6% · 412
- Two or more races3.8% · 340
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 339
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 120
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Davey
Davey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,071
+255 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Down 222 places
2020
#3,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,879
-192 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.97
Rank movement Up 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,696 | 8,816 | 3.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,918 | 9,071 | 3.08 | +255 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 222 places |
| 2020 | #3,887 | 8,879 | 2.97 | -192 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 31 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Davey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,918 | #3,887 | 0.8% |
| Count | 9,071 | 8,879 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.08 | 2.97 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Davey bearers went from 9,071 to 8,879 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,918 to #3,887.
FAQ
Davey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Davey?
Name Census estimates that about 10,182 living Americans carry the surname Davey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,663 residents.
How common is Davey?
Davey ranks #3,887 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,879 people with the surname Davey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Davey.
Has Davey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Davey went from 9,071 recorded bearers to 8,879. That is a decrease of 192 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,918 to #3,887.
What does the Census say about the background of Davey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Davey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Davey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (7,624 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Davey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Black (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Davey (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Davey mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name David, meaning "beloved" or "friend" in Hebrew. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Davey (2.97 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Davey?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Davey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.