Every Boy Name

Boy's name

David

Say it DAY-vid 2 syllables

Hebrew · “beloved”

Loved in Israel and Croatia. Common in England and Wales, Italy, Poland, and 22 more places. Rare in France, Sweden, and Northern Ireland.

1 in 208 boys born in Ireland in 2025. Number 45 there.

David in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 2, common in 25, rare in 3.
David in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales73 (down)20257121 in 382602020
Scotland92 (down)2025581 in 339782020
Northern Ireland126 (down)2025181 in 460892020
Ireland45 (down)20251141 in 208332020
North America
Ontario (province)46 (down)2024216about 1 in 277442019
Quebec (province)89 (down)202583about 1 in 350732020
British Columbia (province)84 (down)202339about 1 in 334682018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Victoria (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
Queensland (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
South Australia (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
New Zealand93 (down)202546842020
Western Europe
France159 (down)20253751 in 8071102020
Netherlands48 (down)2025258about 1 in 258412020
Central Europe
Austria11 (down)20254341 in 8822020
Switzerland31 (down)20251541 in 234122020
Berlin (city)17 (up)2023106about 1 in 146222018
Munich (city)20 (down)202550about 1 in 87112020
Cologne (city)43 (down)202326about 1 in 245132018
Bonn (city)64 (down)20259about 1 in 352172020
Leipzig (city)93 (down)20256about 1 in 479722020
Rostock (city)35 (up)20255about 1 in 209832020
Nordic countries
Norway88 (down)2025731 in 319672020
Sweden122 (down)202580about 1 in 539892020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
Spain25 (down)20241,100122019
Catalonia (region)42 (down)2025961 in 216322020
Italy98 (down)20242821 in 671812019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland78 (up)20252571 in 4921192020
Hungary (as Dávid)17 (down)2025498122020
Slovenia24 (down)202571about 1 in 102182020
Estonia24 (down)202537132020
Moscow (city) (published as Давид)30 (down)2025483242020
Croatia42025398No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as דוד)320241,851about 1 in 4632019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Moscow publishes names in Cyrillic script; the original is shown beside the name. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

The biblical king David, the young shepherd who became ruler of Israel, made this one of the best-known names in the world. It comes from the Hebrew dāwiḏ, 'beloved', and reached English early, being used already in Old English.

2 more paragraphs

With two syllables, DAY-vid, it is simple and warm. Dave, Davey and Davy are the familiar short forms, and the name appears across Europe as Dawid, Davide and Dávid, with the Irish Daithi.

David remains a top name in Israel and Croatia and ranks well in Austria. In English-speaking lists it is steadier and lower, placing in Ireland, Ontario and England and Wales. French records put its peak in the early 1970s, and it is now falling in most of the places that list it, which makes it a classic of the parents' generation rather than a current trend.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
DAY-vid · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
“beloved”
Origin
Hebrew
Spellings counted
Counted together with David here: Davíð, Dávid.
Related names
Dawid, Davide, Davyd, Davud, Daithi, Dave, Davey, Davie, Davy, Davo, Davi, Deivid, Rawiri, Kawika, Dewi, Dafydd, Daoud
Where David comes from (Wiktionary)

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”).

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for David. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

David over time

Rising in 2 of the 29 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 16. Peak in France: 1972.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

David in England and Wales: #32 in 1996, and #73 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #32, 2,517 boys1997: #35, 2,237 boys1998: #39, 1,993 boys1999: #42, 1,642 boys2000: #43, 1,542 boys2001: #46, 1,425 boys2002: #47, 1,320 boys2003: #49, 1,264 boys2004: #55, 1,148 boys2005: #61, 1,079 boys2006: #67, 1,112 boys2007: #63, 1,188 boys2008: #64, 1,134 boys2009: #64, 1,072 boys2010: #64, 1,094 boys2011: #57, 1,163 boys2012: #59, 1,148 boys2013: #50, 1,248 boys2014: #50, 1,209 boys2015: #43, 1,394 boys2016: #43, 1,461 boys2017: #44, 1,416 boys2018: #49, 1,307 boys2019: #56, 1,168 boys2020: #60, 1,047 boys2021: #62, 961 boys2022: #62, 930 boys2023: #65, 845 boys2024: #64, 788 boys2025: #73, 712 boyspeak #32, 1996#73in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996322,517
1997352,237
1998391,993
1999421,642
2000431,542
2001461,425
2002471,320
2003491,264
2004551,148
2005611,079
2006671,112
2007631,188
2008641,134
2009641,072
2010641,094
2011571,163
2012591,148
2013501,248
2014501,209
2015431,394
2016431,461
2017441,416
2018491,307
2019561,168
2020601,047
202162961
202262930
202365845
202464788
202573712

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named David in France since 1925 were born in or after 1977. Peak: 1972, about 4,281 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 28.5 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 26.4 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 22.1 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 12.2 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 13.7 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 27 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 69.1 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 135.6 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 1,247.9 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 4,132 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 3,491.4 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 2,200.1 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 1,450.6 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 911 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 491.3 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 315 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 210.4 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 189.8 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 202.6 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 161.5 per 100,000 boys20202025: 123.9 per 100,000 boys20251970-1974: about 1 in 24 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–192928.5
1930–193426.4
1935–193922.1
1940–194412.2
1945–194913.7
1950–195427
1955–195969.1
1960–1964135.6
1965–19691,247.9
1970–19744,132
1975–19793,491.4
1980–19842,200.1
1985–19891,450.6
1990–1994911
1995–1999491.3
2000–2004315
2005–2009210.4
2010–2014189.8
2015–2019202.6
2020–2024161.5
2025123.9

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for David

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with David, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 126, Ireland

  2. 1 in 224, Northern Ireland

  3. 1 in 354, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  5. 1 in 178, Austria

  6. 1 in 105, Ireland

  7. 1 in 62, Poland

  8. 1 in 145, Ireland

  9. 1 in 128, Austria

  10. 1 in 409, Ireland

All 40 brother names for David

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against David's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 50, Ireland

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 130, Scotland

  6. 1 in 62, Poland

  7. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 137, Scotland

Full-name check

David Oliver

Syllables 2-3Initials D.O.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for David

Sisters for David: Maria, Miriam, Rachel, and 5 more
  1. MariaRose and fell with David · As common as David
  2. MiriamRose and fell with David · Same generation as David
  3. RachelRose and fell with David · Same generation as David
  4. ElizabethRose and fell with David · Hebrew, like David
  5. SarahRose and fell with David · Hebrew, like David
  6. RebeccaRose and fell with David · Hebrew, like David
  7. EvaRose and fell with David · As common as David
  8. JoannaRose and fell with David · Hebrew, like David

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with David

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like David's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 18 more places.

  2. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 14 more places.

  3. Common across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 23 more places.

  4. Rare across France, the UK, three Canadian provinces, and 13 more places.

  5. Common across the UK, three Canadian provinces, Israel, and 7 more places.

  6. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 17 more places.

  7. Common across France, the UK, Italy, and 25 more places.

  8. Rare in France, England and Wales, Italy, and 16 more places.

Famous people named David

David Hilbert, David Hume, and 6 more
  • David Hilbert 1862 to 1943

    German mathematician

  • David Hume 1711 to 1776

    Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian

  • David Cameron born 1966

    Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016

  • David Beckham born 1975

    English footballer

  • David Bowie 1947 to 2016

    English musician and actor

  • David Ben-Gurion 1886 to 1973

    Israeli politician, Zionist leader, prime minister of Israel (1948–1953, 1955–1963) - (born1886–1973)

  • David Lloyd George 1863 to 1945

    Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922

  • David Lynch 1946 to 2025

    American filmmaker

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about David

How popular is David in Ireland?

David ranked #45 in Ireland in 2025, given to 114 boys, about 1 in 208.

Is David rising in popularity?

Not overall: it is falling in more places than it is rising. Rising in 2 of the 29 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 16. Rising in: Poland and Rostock.

What does David mean?

David means “beloved”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does David have?

David has 2 syllables: DAY-vid.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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