- David Name Origin: Hebrew
- Pronunciation: day-vid
- See what 52 people think about David
David Name Meaning
From the origin dod, David is a religious powerhouse of a name meaning “beloved” or “beloved uncle.” His use spans millennia and he continues to be a popular choice today.
David is a chameleon of a name, effortlessly crossing cultural boundaries and working well in other languages. He’s been featured in works of art and literature alike, as well as bestowed upon kings, actors, authors, and more.
A biblical name, many are familiar with the story of David and Goliath, the first true underdog story of a boy winning a battle against a literal giant. He would later go on to lead as the king of Israel. There have been several Saint Davids too in the Catholic Church. He’s also a strong figure in Judaism, prominently featured in the name of their holy symbol, the Star of David.
David ages well and remains a strong choice for a boy name. While he is ancient in origin, he’s avoided feeling dated, remaining a classic option for parents.
David has the tried and true nickname as Dave as well as the more youthful Davey. He also has variants in Davi and Daveth around the world. Female versions of the name include Davina, Davinia, and Davida.
David Name Popularity
How popular is the name David? Here’s everything we know.
| Year | Rank | # Births | % Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 30 | 1,243 | 0.353% |
| 1911 | 27 | 1,535 | 0.4122% |
| 1912 | 29 | 2,851 | 0.5653% |
| 1913 | 29 | 3,278 | 0.5782% |
| 1914 | 29 | 4,251 | 0.61% |
| 1915 | 31 | 5,393 | 0.5936% |
| 1916 | 28 | 5,808 | 0.6012% |
| 1917 | 28 | 6,100 | 0.6097% |
| 1918 | 28 | 6,626 | 0.6174% |
| 1919 | 27 | 6,714 | 0.6412% |
| 1920 | 25 | 7,445 | 0.6696% |
| 1921 | 25 | 7,765 | 0.6781% |
| 1922 | 24 | 7,861 | 0.7056% |
| 1923 | 24 | 8,233 | 0.7351% |
| 1924 | 24 | 8,754 | 0.7538% |
| 1925 | 22 | 8,917 | 0.7889% |
| 1926 | 22 | 9,036 | 0.8215% |
| 1927 | 21 | 9,424 | 0.8514% |
| 1928 | 19 | 9,998 | 0.9344% |
| 1929 | 17 | 11,300 | 1.0909% |
| 1930 | 15 | 12,272 | 1.1748% |
| 1931 | 13 | 11,778 | 1.1933% |
| 1932 | 12 | 12,138 | 1.2286% |
| 1933 | 13 | 12,021 | 1.2903% |
| 1934 | 12 | 13,999 | 1.4481% |
| 1935 | 11 | 15,662 | 1.6117% |
| 1936 | 10 | 17,478 | 1.8144% |
| 1937 | 8 | 20,973 | 2.1284% |
| 1938 | 8 | 22,992 | 2.2459% |
| 1939 | 7 | 25,361 | 2.4932% |
| 1940 | 7 | 27,684 | 2.6046% |
| 1941 | 7 | 30,552 | 2.7145% |
| 1942 | 6 | 35,891 | 2.8423% |
| 1943 | 6 | 37,236 | 2.8523% |
| 1944 | 6 | 37,377 | 3.0158% |
| 1945 | 6 | 37,094 | 3.0416% |
| 1946 | 6 | 46,437 | 3.1471% |
| 1947 | 6 | 57,804 | 3.4629% |
| 1948 | 5 | 56,616 | 3.5466% |
| 1949 | 6 | 59,602 | 3.7051% |
| 1950 | 5 | 60,730 | 3.7718% |
| 1951 | 5 | 64,801 | 3.822% |
| 1952 | 5 | 71,778 | 4.112% |
| 1953 | 5 | 76,096 | 4.2996% |
| 1954 | 5 | 79,532 | 4.3507% |
| 1955 | 2 | 86,251 | 4.6891% |
| 1956 | 4 | 81,596 | 4.3202% |
| 1957 | 3 | 82,358 | 4.2799% |
| 1958 | 2 | 82,584 | 4.3697% |
| 1959 | 2 | 83,926 | 4.4173% |
| 1960 | 1 | 85,928 | 4.5351% |
| 1961 | 2 | 84,762 | 4.4897% |
| 1962 | 2 | 81,320 | 4.4295% |
| 1963 | 3 | 78,474 | 4.3717% |
| 1964 | 3 | 75,056 | 4.264% |
| 1965 | 3 | 67,861 | 4.1497% |
| 1966 | 2 | 66,419 | 4.254% |
| 1967 | 2 | 66,808 | 4.4023% |
| 1968 | 2 | 63,725 | 4.2439% |
| 1969 | 2 | 63,703 | 4.135% |
| 1970 | 3 | 61,753 | 3.8804% |
| 1971 | 3 | 53,121 | 3.5351% |
| 1972 | 4 | 46,371 | 3.4046% |
| 1973 | 5 | 41,106 | 3.1707% |
| 1974 | 4 | 41,811 | 3.2169% |
| 1975 | 5 | 39,172 | 3.0484% |
| 1976 | 4 | 39,299 | 3.0492% |
| 1977 | 4 | 40,541 | 3.0076% |
| 1978 | 4 | 40,704 | 3.0276% |
| 1979 | 4 | 42,077 | 2.9841% |
| 1980 | 4 | 41,923 | 2.8672% |
| 1981 | 5 | 40,659 | 2.766% |
| 1982 | 5 | 40,451 | 2.7069% |
| 1983 | 4 | 39,201 | 2.6565% |
| 1984 | 5 | 38,481 | 2.5868% |
| 1985 | 6 | 38,513 | 2.5374% |
| 1986 | 5 | 37,139 | 2.4604% |
| 1987 | 5 | 36,781 | 2.4103% |
| 1988 | 6 | 35,313 | 2.266% |
| 1989 | 5 | 35,216 | 2.1823% |
| 1990 | 6 | 33,742 | 2.0358% |
| 1991 | 8 | 30,415 | 1.866% |
| 1992 | 10 | 28,409 | 1.7798% |
| 1993 | 11 | 27,026 | 1.7335% |
| 1994 | 13 | 24,868 | 1.6204% |
| 1995 | 16 | 23,034 | 1.5283% |
| 1996 | 13 | 23,013 | 1.537% |
| 1997 | 14 | 21,882 | 1.4795% |
| 1998 | 13 | 20,881 | 1.3951% |
| 1999 | 16 | 20,331 | 1.3576% |
| 2000 | 16 | 19,767 | 1.294% |
| 2001 | 12 | 19,342 | 1.2837% |
| 2002 | 13 | 18,671 | 1.2459% |
| 2003 | 14 | 18,612 | 1.2234% |
| 2004 | 14 | 18,385 | 1.2062% |
| 2005 | 13 | 18,114 | 1.1847% |
| 2006 | 13 | 17,627 | 1.1257% |
| 2007 | 12 | 17,537 | 1.1115% |
| 2008 | 14 | 16,318 | 1.0558% |
| 2009 | 14 | 15,433 | 1.0326% |
| 2010 | 15 | 14,196 | 0.9851% |
| 2011 | 18 | 13,222 | 0.928% |
| 2012 | 20 | 12,530 | 0.8793% |
| 2013 | 18 | 12,348 | 0.8673% |
| 2014 | 18 | 12,195 | 0.837% |
| 2015 | 18 | 11,781 | 0.8097% |
| 2016 | 19 | 11,089 | 0.7691% |
| 2017 | 23 | 10,124 | 0.7254% |
| 2018 | 22 | 9,697 | 0.7058% |
| 2019 | 27 | 8,896 | 0.6571% |
| 2020 | 28 | 8,067 | 0.6338% |
| 2021 | 30 | 7,843 | 0.6416% |
| 2022 | 29 | 7,676 | 0.5818% |
Alaska (AK)
Alabama (AL)
Arkansas (AR)
Arizona (AZ)
California (CA)
Colorado (CO)
Connecticut (CT)
District of Columbia (DC)
Delaware (DE)
Florida (FL)
Georgia (GA)
Hawaii (HI)
Iowa (IA)
Idaho (ID)
Illinois (IL)
Indiana (IN)
Kansas (KS)
Kentucky (KY)
Louisiana (LA)
Massachusetts (MA)
Maryland (MD)
Maine (ME)
Michigan (MI)
Minnesota (MN)
Missouri (MO)
Mississippi (MS)
Montana (MT)
North Carolina (NC)
North Dakota (ND)
Nebraska (NE)
New Hampshire (NH)
New Jersey (NJ)
New Mexico (NM)
Nevada (NV)
New York (NY)
Ohio (OH)
Oklahoma (OK)
Oregon (OR)
Pennsylvania (PA)
Rhode Island (RI)
South Carolina (SC)
South Dakota (SD)
Tennessee (TN)
Texas (TX)
Utah (UT)
Virginia (VA)
Vermont (VT)
Washington (WA)
Wisconsin (WI)
West Virginia (WV)
Wyoming (WY)
Data via SSA.gov.
Names Like David
If you like David, you’ll love these other names like David.
What names are diminutives of David?
A diminutive is a name that’s like David sounds, you might also like these names that sound like David, but shorter.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daffy |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
||
| Dai |
Large; to shine |
Welsh |
|
|
| Dave |
Beloved; son of David |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Daveigh |
Diminutive form of David |
American |
||
| Davey |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Davi |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Davie |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Davy |
Beloved; son of David |
Hebrew |
|
What names are variants of David?
Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name David.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daffyd |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
||
| Dafydd |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
||
| Daven |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Daveney |
Beloved |
English |
||
| Davian |
Beloved |
American |
|
|
| Davidde |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
| Davide |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson |
Beloved; son of David |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Daviel |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Davies |
Beloved; son of David |
Hebrew |
||
| Davin |
Beloved |
Welsh |
|
|
| Davis |
Son of David |
English |
|
|
| Davon |
American |
|
||
| Davyd |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
||
| Davydd |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
||
| Davyn |
Welsh |
|
What names sound like David?
If you like how David sounds, you might also like these names that sound like David.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvid |
Eagle tree |
Scandinavian |
|
|
| Daivat |
Power, strength |
Indian (Sanskrit) |
||
| Hamid |
Praiseworthy |
Arabic |
|
|
| Navid |
Best wishes |
Persian |
|
|
| Ovid |
“A sheep herder,” from the Latin ovis, sheep. |
Latin |
| Yadid |
Beloved |
Hebrew |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yazid |
Becoming greater |
African |
|
What names are similar to David?
Find a name that’s like David, but just a little bit different.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron |
High mountain |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Abraham |
Father of nations |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Adam |
Man |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Benjamin |
A favorite son |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Caleb |
Whole heart |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Cohen |
Priest |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Daniel |
God is My Judge |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Eli |
Ascension |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Gabriel |
God is my strength |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Samuel |
Name of God |
Hebrew |
|
Lists With David
Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name David.
-
Cute Boy Names You’re Sure to Love // 203 names
When it comes to baby boy names, being adorable sure goes a long way as you can see by our list of cute boy names. They don’t carry a heavy association or seriousness that other monikers may bring to the table, leading to happy-go-lucky names ripe with potential.
-
Dutch Boy Names of Past and Present // 159 names
Honor your roots or find a globetrotting cutie with Dutch boy names. Check out our collection of popular Dutch monikers, their meanings, and more.
-
Catholic Boy Names With Virtue and Valor // 248 names
Find faith and meaning in Catholic boy names. Browse our collection of these devoted darlings, including papal picks, apostles, and saints.
-
Basic Boy Names That Stand on Their Own // 115 names
Basic boy names feel like lifelong friends, as they’ve been charted high enough throughout time to earn widespread recognition. Check them out with us.
-
Legendary Boy Names With Awesome Associations // 225 names
Capture incredible wonder and awe with legendary boy names. These mighty monikers are cut from a different cloth, containing everything from famed associations to majestic meanings. Check out our collection of them.
Siblings of David
Mamas with kids named David also have kids with these names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb |
Whole heart |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Chloe |
Green sprout |
Greek |
|
|
| Marea |
A variant form of Marina. |
|
| Jensen |
Son of Jens |
Scandinavian |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan |
Circling sea |
Welsh |
|
|
| James |
Supplanter |
English |
|
|
| Noah |
To rest |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Aliya |
Rising, ascending |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Kylie |
Boomerang |
Aboriginal |
|
|
| Ryann |
King |
Irish |
|
|
| Ezra |
Help |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Isabella |
Devoted to God |
Italian |
|
|
| Brielle |
God is my strength |
French |
|
|
| Hallie |
A variant spelling of Hally. |
Scandinavian |
|
|
| Charlie |
Free man |
English |
|
|
| Josef |
Jehovah increases |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Taylor |
Tailor; to cut |
French |
|
|
| Reece |
Enthusiasm |
Welsh |
|
| Grace |
Gracious one |
English |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith |
Devotion |
English |
|
|
| Elizabeth |
God is my oath |
Hebrew |
|
|
| William |
A willing protector |
German |
|
|
| Marie |
A French form of Mary. |
French |
|
|
| Joy |
Happiness |
Latin |
|
|
| Jordyn |
To descend |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Jubilee |
Ram's horn |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Robert |
Bright fame |
German |
|
|
| Kara |
A short form of Karen. |
Latin |
|
|
| Jeanie |
God is gracious |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Alyson |
Noble, exalted |
German |
|
|
| Harley |
Hare meadow |
English |
|
|
| Vincent |
Conquer |
Latin |
|
|
| Benedict |
Blessed |
Latin |
|
| Eric |
Everlasting ruler |
Scandinavian |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selena |
Moon |
Spanish |
|
|
| Ilana |
Tree |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Jeriah |
Taught by God |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Tabitha |
Gazelle |
Aramaic |
|
|
| Daniel |
God is My Judge |
Hebrew |
|
52 Comments
Kimberly
David is my 3rd baby born at 37 weeks due to placentaprevia. Delivered C-section he weighted 6’7 and 19 inch long. This was my first C-section
Rebekah
Our David is definitely beloved of many people! We love that David in the Bible is said to be a man after God’s heart and pray that that will be the case for our son.
Bunmi
David is a warrior and God gave him to me as a reminder that am not a loser but a warrior.Amen
Star Q Craig
Always, yes. His oneness with God showed us strength, that should always be able to protect the poor or needy, men woman and children before Christ. Giving tears of Joy, for genuine thoughts, words, acts of kindness. To know such a man, will melt your heart, even if one heart feels dry as dust, or hardened, he cared to find meaning. David understands truth wherever existent. Remembering we fight for Love and give love to what Jesus sees as a faithful example, focused on the truth, even if its everyone else is lost.
Jean
Family name! I like how classic it is, but wish there was a good nickname to fit a baby
Angelina
My husband proposed this name and I liked it too. It means “beloved” and David was a great Biblical character: a musician, poet, warrior, king, and best of all, a man after God’s own heart.
Carrie
Family and Biblical name.
It is very common but oh well.
David
My mother was reading through Psalms when she chose my name. We now have two David Jr.’s and Sr.’s in our family. I love the name, and I’m grateful it is mine, my son’s, our grandson’s, and our son-in-law’s. However, I find it difficult to live up to the name in Biblical terms as we strive to. It means “beloved of God,” which is the most essential factor in our lives, to love God and BE LOVED BY GOD.
Kayler
My husband and his father’s name
Misty
I love this name for my son
Bernadette
King David from biblical times is an epic person. His humility and trust on the lord made him fearless. Musician, soldier, friend, king. He asked for forgiveness when he betrayed the Lord and continued to serve Him. I love the image of David dancing before the Ark. He was passionate. To be honest I don’t really like the sound of the name but who it brings to mind As a mentor for our son made it our choice.
Angela Hammond
His name is David Elijah, Originally we were just going to name him Elijah, But once he was born my husband really felt strongly to name him David Elijah. David and The Bible was a man after God’s heart In Elijah was my favorite prophet I’m not like the meaning of both the names
Daniela Stone
It was a god-given name.
Madelyn Figy
David is a family name! Our baby will be David III and we thought that was so special.
raluca
We are a Romanian/Chinese family so we wanted a short, simple and also biblical name that both our families can pronounce
David
David
mira
are u David D I am mira
My name is David
David greatest name in plant David man after God own heart All David be proud of your name important in life David is hero warrior musician poem great man
Elise
He is David Jr. after his Dad:)
Hulrine
My husband loved the name first and the David was a man after God’s heart in the bible.so I want my son to love God and be God’s beloved.
charlotte
Chose it because it’s his dads name
Sarah
It sounds good in both English and Spanish, and has a nice meaning (“beloved”).
Amanda
My husband and I wanted our son to have a strong, recognizable name that was not currently “trendy.” We spent a lot of time saying baby boy names out loud with our last name trying to hear what felt right, and we just kept coming back to David!
Natasha
Honestly I’ve thought of many names for my son but it meant so much to my husband that we name him David Brian after his uncle because my husbands uncle means the world to him and his uncle married us and was there when we were going through tough times with my 4 year old and his uncle has been a blessing in all of our lives and the more I thought about the name the more happy I got and to hear and see the reaction when we told my husband’s uncle that we were naming our son after him I was happy with the name
Jessica
It means Beloved… David is one of my favorite lovers of God in the Bible. He was courageous, He was a psalmist, and musician. He was a Shepherd, and a man after Gods heart! He had faith that took down the greatest giant of His time, when everyone else was petrified in fear. He also was anointed by God to become king.
Deylan
I love this name because it has a beautiful meaning and it is biblical.
Cindy
*
Teresa
He was named after both of his grandfathers.
Olga
My elder son chose this name for his little brother. He was very persistent and also prayed for his baby brother by name for two months before he was born. So my husband and I couldn’t object. The big brother was super happy and loves David so much.
Angela Ammerman
We chose this name because it is a strong family name and a biblical name. Also, I was a public school teacher for many years and I never had a David in class that I didn’t like! I cannot say the same about other names!
Allison
I named him David because his father grandfather and great grandfather are all named David. We just chose a different middle name.I love his name. But because they all have the same first name, we are calling him by his middle name.
Faith
We wanted a Bible name and both of us like the name David. Plus the meaning is “beloved” and after having 2 miscarriages before this, we thought it appropriate.
Ticarria Lynn
Named after my father and stepfather
Ashlee
We named him after his dad. He is the first son in the family after 7 girls.
Sandra
My husband chose the name David and when i had my son in my arms for the first time I fell in love with him
Catherine
We wanted a classic, simple, not too biblical but still significant name. And most of all we wanted our little guy to have an easy name to spell and pronounce (for him and others) through his life.
Anya
Means beloved. We named him in honor of my husband’s grandfather.
Maria
Thnx God for his secure arrival.
Hayley
I do not like common names or weird names so I wanted an older name. My first son is named Thomas and when it came to the second David just seemed to fit. I love that both of them are biblical and that they each have a middle name after their grandfathers. When I searched the name David the meaning is beloved.
Erica
I love the name David. My 4 year old name is David
Hes a sweet heart and loves his mommy. (Me)
Briana
He’s named after his dad and grandpa
Nanci
I wanted to name my son Emmanuel which means (God with us) but my husband didn’t like it he wanted to name him David which means (beloved) wasn’t really a fan of the name but it fits him well, I gave a chance for my husband to name him because I named my other son Daniel (God is my judge) which he wasn’t a fan of the name but I sure liked it.
Kailie
I choose the name to honor my father
Elizabeth
I wanted a bible name,and a name no one we knew had personally
Rebecca
I chose David because it’s his great grandfather’s name that David’s father held to high regard.
I don’t have any dislike towards the name
David is my first and he is the sweetest, funniest, and cutest baby I think I’ve ever seen
FM
I named my baby after my Grandpa. He is no longer with us and is our tradition to name our children after our deceased ancestors. I have a nephew David as well. He is called Davey for now but it will probably be David once he is older.
Twila
My husband and I have decided to name our boys after prophets from the Bible. This may seem like an odd choice in that category, but King David wrote several Psalms prophesying about Jesus. This name is also a tribute to one of my husband’s college roommates who was a groomsman in our wedding and remains a dear friend. Finally, we intend to use the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 as a guide in our name search for each one. The first quality on the list is Love. David is our firstborn and his name means “Beloved.”
I love that this name is familiar, but rare in this generation which makes it both normal and special.
Melodie
David is our sons middle name. Named after a great-grandfather
Gabrielle
David is my husbands first name, named after both of his grandfathers. Our first born is named after my husband, but we chose II instead of Jr.
Elizabeth
This was a no brainer for us. We used it as a middle name so that our son would be named after both his dad and his grandfather. We almost lost his grandfather to a stroke shortly after we found out we were expecting so we knew right away we wanted to use it. It is very common, but it’s classic. We paired it with the first name “Jensen.” A unique name with a classic name.
Liz
David is such a classic name. We want all of our children to have names that are spelled the same in English and Spanish, and David fits that important criteria. It’s also a family name. I actually really adore his name. My son has so much spunk, he needed a grand name like David. It’s also more old-school and is not as common anymore.
Jessica
We were looking for a timeless, classic name, and it had to be English-Spanish bilingual. My husband also prefers shorter names, and I wanted a biblical name. We both like the biblical story of David, it’s short, and it works in so many languages. We also wanted a name that would be more likely to remain “whole”. In Spanish, David doesn’t usually get shortened.