2000
#9,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,328
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Davie
A Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of David," derived from the Hebrew name meaning "beloved."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,793 Americans carry the last name Davie. That puts it at #9,420 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,365 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Davie 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 Davie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,365
Census rank
#9,420
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,308 bearers of the surname Davie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9420th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Davie, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.4%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Davie
The surname Davie originates from Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the personal name David, which is believed to have come from the Hebrew name "Dawid," meaning "beloved." The surname is a patronymic form, indicating "son of David."
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Scottish records from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable mention is in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments of homage and fealty to Edward I of England, which includes the name William Davy in 1296.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various Scottish charters and records, with spellings such as Davy, Davie, and Dawie. The different spellings likely reflect regional variations and the evolution of the name over time.
The Davie surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 16th century, John Davie (c. 1564-1618) was a Scottish clergyman and scholar who served as the Principal of Marischal College in Aberdeen.
Another prominent individual was William Davie (1756-1820), a Revolutionary War soldier and one of the founders of the University of North Carolina. He served as the state's governor from 1798 to 1799.
In the 19th century, Sir John Davie (1795-1857) was a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed parts of the Australian coast and discovered several islands in the Great Barrier Reef.
The name has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Davie's Burn, a stream in Ayrshire, and Davie's Hill, a location in Fife. These place names likely originated from individuals or families with the surname Davie residing in those areas.
Another notable figure was George Davie (1884-1957), a Scottish politician and businessman who served as the Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1946 to 1949.
The Davie surname has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with various notable individuals and connections to places throughout the centuries. While its origin can be traced back to the 12th century, the name continues to be carried on by families and individuals today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Davie
Among Census respondents with the surname Davie, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.4%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Davie 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 Davie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.4% · 2,262
- Black or African American24.0% · 794
- Two or more races3.5% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Davie
Davie 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
#9,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,407
+79 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 515 places
2020
#9,420
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,308
-99 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,029 | 3,328 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,544 | 3,407 | 1.15 | +79 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 515 places |
| 2020 | #9,420 | 3,308 | 1.11 | -99 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 124 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 Davie 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 | #9,544 | #9,420 | 1.3% |
| Count | 3,407 | 3,308 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.11 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Davie bearers went from 3,407 to 3,308 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,544 to #9,420.
FAQ
Davie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Davie?
Name Census estimates that about 3,793 living Americans carry the surname Davie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,365 residents.
How common is Davie?
Davie ranks #9,420 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,308 people with the surname Davie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,793), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Davie.
Has Davie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Davie went from 3,407 recorded bearers to 3,308. That is a decrease of 99 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,544 to #9,420.
What does the Census say about the background of Davie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Davie, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.4%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Davie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.4% (2,262 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Davie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.4%), Black (24.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Davie (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 Davie mean?
A Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of David," derived from the Hebrew name meaning "beloved." 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 Davie (1.11 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 common is the surname Davie?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Davie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.