The surname David
A Latin patronymic surname, carried by 44,040 people in the United States.
Pronounced /ˈdeɪvɪd/ 2 syllables Soundex D130 Also a first name
Origin
Latin origin
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”).
David is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
One of 91 Latin surnames on this site.
Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How common it is
2010 US Census
There were 44,040 people named David in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 7,011 Americans. That is up 14% since 2000, when the Census counted 38,659.
Who is named David
Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census
59% of people named David identified as white (not Hispanic), 15% as Black (not Hispanic) and 14% as Asian and Pacific Islander.
- White (not Hispanic) 59%
- Black (not Hispanic) 15%
- Asian and Pacific Islander 14%
- Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.6%
- Two or more races 2.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native 1.7%
Famous Davids
17 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Larry DavidAmerican comedian, writer and actor (born 1947)
- Hal DavidAmerican poet and lyricist (1921–2012)
- Elizabeth DavidBritish cookery writer (1913–1992)
- Edgeworth DavidAustralian geologist (1858–1934)
- Peter DavidAmerican writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games (1956–2025)
- Johann Nepomuk DavidAustrian composer (1895–1977)
- Joanna DavidBritish actress, born 1947
- Wilfried DavidBelgian road bicycle racer (1946–2015)
- Thayer DavidAmerican actor (1927-1978)
- Mack DavidAmerican lyricist and songwriter (1912-1993)
- Tim DavidAustralian-Singaporean cricketer, born 1996
- Jakob Julius DavidAustrian journalist and writer (1859-1906)
Notable Davids come mostly from the United States (7), the United Kingdom (3) and Australia (2).
Other Latin surnames
Questions
- Where does the surname David come from?
- 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 common is the surname David?
- 44,040 people in the United States had the surname David in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 7,011 Americans. It ranked 782nd of 162,253 surnames.
- What ethnicity is the surname David?
- In the 2010 Census, 59% of people named David identified as white (not Hispanic), and 15% as Black (not Hispanic).
- Who is the most famous person named David?
- Larry David, American comedian, writer and actor (born 1947), followed by Hal David.
- Where is the surname David most common?
- Wikidata records people named David in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 3 other countries.
- How do you pronounce David?
- David is /ˈdeɪvɪd/, 2 syllables.
- What type of surname is David?
- David is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
- Is the surname David getting more or less common?
- More common. 38,659 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 44,040 in 2010, up 14%.
- Is David also a first name?
- Yes. David is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.