# David (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/david/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic common in Wales, in honor of the ancient Saint David of Wales.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Latin |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 44,040 |
| US rank (2010) | 782 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 7,011 people |
| Change since 2000 | +14% (38,659 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

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”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named David in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 59% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 15% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 14% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named David in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Belgium and Argentina.

## People named David

- Larry David, American comedian, writer and actor (born 1947)
- Hal David, American poet and lyricist (1921–2012)
- Elizabeth David, British cookery writer (1913–1992)
- Edgeworth David, Australian geologist (1858–1934)
- Peter David, American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games (1956–2025)
- Johann Nepomuk David, Austrian composer (1895–1977)
- Joanna David, British actress
- Wilfried David, Belgian road bicycle racer (1946–2015)
- Thayer David, American actor (1927-1978)
- Mack David, American lyricist and songwriter (1912-1993)
- Tim David, Australian-Singaporean cricketer
- Jakob Julius David, Austrian journalist and writer (1859-1906)

and 5 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Devito, DeVita, Devitt, Divito, Deputy, Dwivedi.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.