Dave is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Dave means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Dave across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Dave has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Dave is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “beloved”. A short form of David.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 64,492 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 235 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 43 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Dave per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1959 (3,308/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2005 (15/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2005 (5/yr).
Dave has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1959, when it ranked #252 nationally (given to 3,308 babies that year).
Dovie · Davy · Davey · Dava · Davi · Dov · Dev · Dove
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →