Boy nameCurrently #31 in the USFalling
David
DAY-vid//ˈdeɪvɪd//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19555 lettersStarts with D
Meaning & origin
Beloved
David comes from the Hebrew 'dawid', meaning beloved, and belongs to the shepherd boy who defeated Goliath and became Israel's greatest king. Its warm meaning and biblical weight have kept it one of the most consistently used names across centuries and cultures.
David's popularity over time
| Year | Births named David |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 869 |
| 1881 | 750 |
| 1882 | 838 |
| 1883 | 740 |
| 1884 | 761 |
| 1885 | 717 |
| 1886 | 674 |
| 1887 | 682 |
| 1888 | 801 |
| 1889 | 757 |
| 1890 | 731 |
| 1891 | 673 |
| 1892 | 818 |
| 1893 | 730 |
| 1894 | 729 |
| 1895 | 712 |
| 1896 | 772 |
| 1897 | 730 |
| 1898 | 820 |
| 1899 | 646 |
| 1900 | 892 |
| 1901 | 672 |
| 1902 | 761 |
| 1903 | 716 |
| 1904 | 817 |
| 1905 | 845 |
| 1906 | 886 |
| 1907 | 956 |
| 1908 | 1,015 |
| 1909 | 1,101 |
| 1910 | 1,267 |
| 1911 | 1,565 |
| 1912 | 2,874 |
| 1913 | 3,295 |
| 1914 | 4,272 |
| 1915 | 5,425 |
| 1916 | 5,837 |
| 1917 | 6,133 |
| 1918 | 6,664 |
| 1919 | 6,748 |
| 1920 | 7,477 |
| 1921 | 7,807 |
| 1922 | 7,896 |
| 1923 | 8,273 |
| 1924 | 8,809 |
| 1925 | 8,955 |
| 1926 | 9,097 |
| 1927 | 9,486 |
| 1928 | 10,060 |
| 1929 | 11,374 |
| 1930 | 12,361 |
| 1931 | 11,839 |
| 1932 | 12,195 |
| 1933 | 12,091 |
| 1934 | 14,078 |
| 1935 | 15,722 |
| 1936 | 17,529 |
| 1937 | 21,050 |
| 1938 | 23,057 |
| 1939 | 25,452 |
| 1940 | 27,775 |
| 1941 | 30,647 |
| 1942 | 36,019 |
| 1943 | 37,353 |
| 1944 | 37,479 |
| 1945 | 37,194 |
| 1946 | 46,549 |
| 1947 | 57,920 |
| 1948 | 56,745 |
| 1949 | 59,726 |
| 1950 | 60,863 |
| 1951 | 64,891 |
| 1952 | 71,886 |
| 1953 | 76,268 |
| 1954 | 79,713 |
| 1955 | 86,450 |
| 1956 | 81,807 |
| 1957 | 82,569 |
| 1958 | 82,884 |
| 1959 | 84,202 |
| 1960 | 86,131 |
| 1961 | 85,038 |
| 1962 | 81,625 |
| 1963 | 78,686 |
| 1964 | 75,285 |
| 1965 | 68,047 |
| 1966 | 66,648 |
| 1967 | 67,084 |
| 1968 | 63,948 |
| 1969 | 63,971 |
| 1970 | 62,019 |
| 1971 | 53,377 |
| 1972 | 46,563 |
| 1973 | 41,311 |
| 1974 | 42,027 |
| 1975 | 39,392 |
| 1976 | 39,502 |
| 1977 | 40,768 |
| 1978 | 40,929 |
| 1979 | 42,347 |
| 1980 | 42,181 |
| 1981 | 40,857 |
| 1982 | 40,706 |
| 1983 | 39,527 |
| 1984 | 38,727 |
| 1985 | 38,817 |
| 1986 | 37,423 |
| 1987 | 37,048 |
| 1988 | 35,580 |
| 1989 | 35,371 |
| 1990 | 33,867 |
| 1991 | 30,511 |
| 1992 | 28,542 |
| 1993 | 27,128 |
| 1994 | 24,950 |
| 1995 | 23,115 |
| 1996 | 23,086 |
| 1997 | 21,933 |
| 1998 | 20,934 |
| 1999 | 20,395 |
| 2000 | 19,831 |
| 2001 | 19,403 |
| 2002 | 18,742 |
| 2003 | 18,671 |
| 2004 | 18,473 |
| 2005 | 18,166 |
| 2006 | 17,697 |
| 2007 | 17,587 |
| 2008 | 16,368 |
| 2009 | 15,471 |
| 2010 | 14,248 |
| 2011 | 13,273 |
| 2012 | 12,576 |
| 2013 | 12,411 |
| 2014 | 12,266 |
| 2015 | 11,855 |
| 2016 | 11,163 |
| 2017 | 10,250 |
| 2018 | 9,825 |
| 2019 | 8,996 |
| 2020 | 8,269 |
| 2021 | 7,936 |
| 2022 | 7,826 |
| 2023 | 7,421 |
| 2024 | 7,324 |
David through the decades
- David peaked in 1955, when 86,450 babies were named David in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of David has fallen 39% compared to the 10 years before that.
- David currently ranks #31 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
DaveDavy
Variants & spellings
DàibhidhDovid
Famous people named David
- David Bowie — musician