The first name David
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “beloved”.
Pronounced /ˈdeɪvɪd/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
David means “beloved” in Hebrew.
From Middle English David, Davyd, Davyde, from Old English Dauid, David, from Late Latin Dāvīd, from Koine Greek Δαυῑ̈́δ (Dauī̈́d), from Biblical Hebrew דָּוִד (dāwiḏ, literally “beloved”).
More names that mean love.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 712 boys were named David, making it the 73rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 2,517 births (#32).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare David with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named David at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 6,794 boys born in the United States were named David, the 35th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1955, when 86,306 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
David in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled David in Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named David
2,167 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- David HilbertGerman mathematician (1862–1943)
- Henry David ThoreauAmerican essayist, poet, and philosopher (1817–1862)
- David BeckhamEnglish footballer (born 1975)
- David BowieEnglish musician and actor (1947–2016)
- David LynchAmerican filmmaker (1946–2025)
- David RicardoBritish economist and politician (1772–1823)
- David AttenboroughBritish broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)
- David LettermanAmerican comedian and television host, born 1947
- David DuchovnyAmerican actor and writer, born 1960
- David GrossAmerican particle physicist and string theorist, born 1941
- David CopperfieldAmerican illusionist, born 1956
- David GilmourEnglish musician, member of Pink Floyd (born 1946)
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name David mean?
- David means “beloved” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name David?
- From Middle English David, Davyd, Davyde, from Old English Dauid, David, from Late Latin Dāvīd, from Koine Greek Δαυῑ̈́δ (Dauī̈́d), from Biblical Hebrew דָּוִד (dāwiḏ, literally “beloved”).
- How popular is the name David?
- In 2025, 712 boys born in England and Wales were named David, ranking 73rd. Its peak was 1996, with 2,517 births.
- What are nicknames for David?
- Common nicknames for David include Dai, Davo, Davy, Dave, Davey, Davie.
- Is David a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 3,689,613 US babies named David since 1880 were boys.
- When was David most popular?
- 1955 in the United States, when 86,306 babies were named David, its highest rank at 2nd.
- How do you pronounce David?
- David is /ˈdeɪvɪd/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of David?
- Davina and Dovid.
- Is David also a surname?
- Yes. David is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.