Find out how popular the last name David is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named David.

David, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the David surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of David in America

David is the 782nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The David surname appeared 44,040 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname David.

We can also compare 2010 data for David to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name David

The surname DAVID originated in Wales during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Welsh word 'dafydd' meaning 'beloved'. The name likely evolved from the personal name David, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'beloved'.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname DAVID can be found in medieval Welsh records and manuscripts from the 13th century. One notable example is the mention of a Rhys ap David in the 'Annales Cambriae' chronicles from 1265.

In England, the surname DAVID is first documented in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a John David from Oxfordshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any mentions of the surname, indicating it emerged later during the Norman period.

Over time, variations of the spelling developed, including Davids, Davyd, and Daveys. Some of these were influenced by regional dialects and accents. The surname also became associated with certain place names, such as Davidstow in Cornwall and Daventry in Northamptonshire.

Notable historical figures with the surname DAVID include Sir John David (1598-1666), a Welsh lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons. Another was David ap Gwilym (c.1340-c.1400), a renowned Welsh poet considered one of the greatest poets of the Middle Ages.

Other famous bearers of the surname include George David (1738-1817), a Welsh industrialist and founder of the Pembrokeshire Coalbrookdale Company, and John David (1545-1626), a Welsh Anglican bishop who served as Bishop of St Asaph.

In Scotland, the surname DAVID is also found, possibly introduced through Welsh or English settlers. One notable Scot was David Brewster (1781-1868), a renowned physicist, mathematician, and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of optics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name David

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname David.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for David was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of David has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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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