David

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David

Gender: Masculine.
Language: English.
Etymology:
David is the English form of a Hebrew name, Dodavehu. Originally it meant “Friend,” or “Beloved.”

History:
The first recorded instance of David in England is in 1086. Although many Old Testaments names were not used in England, David did appear from time to time, especially along the Welsh and Scottish borders. St. Dewi (David) was a Welsh saint who died in 600. In Scotland, two kings were named David, as well.

Pronunciation: day-vid

Diminutives:
English: Dave, Davy, Daw, Davit.
Finnish: Taavi.
Welsh: Dai, Dafi, Deian, Deio, Taffy.

Alternates:
Arabic: Dauod, Daud.
Cornish: Daveth.
English: Davyn, Davian, Davis.
Finnish: Daavid, Taavetti.
Hawaiian: Kawika.
Irish Gaelic: Dáibhí.
Italian: Davide.
Latin: Davidus.
Polish: Dawid.
Scottish Gaelic: Daibhidh, Dabhaidh.
Swedish: Davidsson.
Welsh: Dafÿdd, Dewi, Dewey, Dewydd.

Surnames:
Danish: Davidsen.
Dutch: Davids.
English: Daud, Davids, Davidson, Davies, Davis, Davison, Davisson, Davage, Davit, Davitt, Davidge, Davys, Davson, Dawkins, Dawson, Day, Doud, Hawks, Hawkes.
French: Davy.
German (Low): Davidsen.
Irish: Davitt, Devitt, Daid, Dade, McDade, McDaid, McCaet, McDavitt, McDevitt, McCavitt, McKevitt, Taaffe.
Romanian: Davidescue,
Scottish: McTavish, McDavid.
Welsh: Davies, Davis, Dewey, Taffie, Taffee.

Feminine: Davina.

See also: Dafydd, Dave, Dewey.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
David Teniers, the Elder (1582-1649)
Flemish Baroque painter.
David Teniers, the Younger (1610-1690)
Flemish Baroque painter.
David Johnston (1799-1865)
American cartoonist.
Lord David Cecil (1902-1986)
English biographer.
David Oistrakh (David Fyodorovich Oistrakh) (1908-1974)
Soviet violinist.
David Seymour (1911-1956)
American photojournalist.
David Ignatow (1914-1997)
American poet.
David Diop (1927-1960)
French West African poet.
David Mourão-Ferreira (1927-1996)
Portuguese writer.
David Antin (1932-)
American poet and translator.
David Malouf (1934-)
Australian poet.
David Lodge (1935-)
British author.
David Rabe (1940-)
American playwright.
David Williamson (1942-)
Australian playwright.
David Mamet (1947-)
American playwright.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
David al-Mukammas (circa 900)
Medieval Jewish philosopher.
David Kimhi (Kimchi)(1160-1235)
European scholar of Hebrew.
David Hume (1711-1776)
Scottish philosopher.
Sir David Ross (1877-1971)
Scottish philosopher.
David L. Sills (1920-)
American sociologist.

Military Leaders:
David Porter (1780-1843)
American admiral during the War of 1812.
David Farragut (1802-1870)
American Civil War admiral.
David Dixon Porter (1813-1891)
American Civil War general. Son of David Porter.
Sir David Stirling (1915-1990)
British World War II military officer who founded the S.A.S.

Miscellaneous:
David Riccio (Italian: Davide Rizzio) (1533-1566)
Secretary and possible lover to Mary, Queen of Scots. Murdered.
David Lubin (1892-1982)
Polish-American merchant and agriculture reformer.
David Dubinsky (1892-1982)
American labor leader.

Other:
David (1501)
Michelangelo’s famous sculpture.

Places:
Camp David
Retreat for the presidents of the United States. Named for the grandson of President Eisenhower, it was previously named Shangri-la.
Fort Saint David (abandoned circa 1785)
British fort in India.
Río David
Panama.

Political Figures:
David Hartley, the Younger (1731-1813)
Radical British Member of Parliament.
David J. Brewer (1837-1910)
American Supreme Court Justice.
David Hunter Miller (1875-1961)
American lawyer who helped form the League of Nations.
David E. Lilienthal (1899-1981)
American businessman and chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
David Dacko (1930-)
President of the Central African Republic from 1960-1965 and 1979-1981.

Religious Figures:
King David of Israel (-986 B.C.)
The David from “David and Goliath” and father of King Solomon.
Saint Dewi (David) (520-600):
Patron saint of Wales.
David Joris (1501-1556):
Controversial member of the Anabaptists.
David O. McKay (1873-1970):
Ninth leader of the Mormon religion.

Royalty:
King David of Israel (-986 B.C.)
The David from “David and Goliath” and father of King Solomon.
King David I of Scotland (1082-1153)
Son of Malcolm III and St. Margaret.
David ap Llywelyn of Wales (1208-1246)
Welsh prince.
David ap Gruffud of Wales (Dafydd ap Gruffydd) (-1283)
Last Welsh prince of Wales. Captured and executed by the English.
King David II of Scotland (1324-1371)
Son of Robert I the Bruce. Came to the throne at the age of five. Exiled at ten. Returned at seventeen. Imprisoned by the English from 1346 to 1357.

Scientists:
David Bushnell (1742-1824)
“Father of the submarine.”
David Douglas (1798-1834)
Scottish botanist.
David E. Hughes (1831-1900)
Anglo-American who invented the carbon microphone.
David M. Lee (1931-)
American physicist who was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physics.
David Schramm (1937-)
British mathematician.
David Schramm (1945-1997)
American astrophysicist.

Singers and Entertainers:
David Garrick (1717-1779)
English Drury Lane actor.
David O. Selznick (1902-1965)
American film producer or Gone With the Wind (1936).
David Niven (1909-1983)
British actor.
David Merrick (1912-)
American theater producer.
David Kimbrough, Jr. (1930-1998)
American blues musician.
David Schwimmer (1966-)
American television actor. On Friends.

Popularity:
For all ages, in the United States (1990 Census):
2.363% named David
0.053% named Dave
0.023% named Dewey
0.010% named Davis

Popularity of David:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1800: 10th most popular.
1850: 15th most popular.
1875: 20th most popular.
1900-1910: 29th most popular.
1910-1920: 30th most popular.
1920-1930: 22nd most popular.
1930-1940: 11th most popular.
1935: 10th most popular.
1937: 8th most popular.
1938: 8th most popular.
1939: 9th most popular.
1940: 7th most popular.
1941: 7th most popular.
1942: 7th most popular.
1943: 6th most popular.
1944: 6th most popular.
1945: 6th most popular.
1946: 6th most popular.
1947: 6th most popular.
1948: 5th most popular.
1949: 4th most popular.
1950: 6th most popular.
1951: 5th most popular.
1952: 5th most popular.
1953: 5th most popular.
1954: 5th most popular.
1955: 3rd most popular.
1956: 3rd most popular.
1957: 4th most popular.
1958: 2nd most popular.
1959: 2nd most popular.
1960: 1st most popular.
1961: 1st most popular.
1962: 3rd most popular.
1963: 1st most popular.
1964: 3rd most popular.
1965: 4th most popular.
1966: 6th most popular.
1967: 2nd most popular.
1968: 2nd most popular.
1969: 2nd most popular.
1970: 2nd most popular.
1971: 3rd most popular.
1972: 3rd most popular.
1973: 6th most popular.
1974: 4th most popular.
1975: 4th most popular.
1976: 4th most popular.
1977: 4th most popular.
1978: 4th most popular.
1979: 4th most popular.
1980: 4th most popular.
1981: 5th most popular.
1982: 6th most popular.
1983: 4th most popular.
1984: 5th most popular.
1985: 5th most popular.
1986: 5th most popular.
1987: 7th most popular.
1988: 5th most popular.
1989: 5th most popular.
1990: 6th most popular.
1991: 7th most popular.
1992: 8th most popular.
1993: 9th most popular.
1994: 12th most popular.
1995: 13th most popular.
1996: 13th most popular.
1997: 13th most popular.
1996: 17th most popular.
1998: 19th most popular.
1998: 16th most popular.
1999: 16th most popular.
2000: 16th most popular.
2001: 12th most popular.
2002: 13th most popular.
2003: 14th most popular.

In France...
1900: 146th most popular.
1910: 149th most popular.
1920: 161st most popular.
1930: 156th most popular.
1939: 175th most popular.
1940: N/A
1946: 189th most popular.
1950: 179th most popular.
1960: 105th most popular.
1970: 4th most popular.
1980: 4th most popular.
1990: 20th most popular.
2000: 73rd most popular.

In Ireland...
1998: 8th most popular.
1999: 7th most popular.
2000: 7th most popular.
2001: 7th most popular.
2002: 9th most popular.
2003: 9th most popular.

Popularity of Davis:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 702nd most popular.
1910-1920: 651st most popular.
1930-1940: 510th most popular.
1930-1940: 602nd most popular.
1940-1950: 636th most popular.
1950-1960: 601st most popular.
1960-1970: 754th most popular.
1970-1980: 758th most popular.
1980-1990: 601st most popular.
1990: 618th most popular.
1991: 606th most popular.
1992: 520th most popular.
1993: 477th most popular.
1994: 434th most popular.
1995: 419th most popular.
1996: 413th most popular.
1997: 386th most popular.
1998: 371st most popular.
1999: 373rd most popular.
2000: 386th most popular.
2001: 370th most popular.
2002: 395th most popular.
2003: 381st most popular.