David is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what David means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named David across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular David has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
David is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “beloved”. the biblical king and patron saint of Wales.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 3,689,613 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 37,603 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 40,705 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 2,384 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 50,892 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 36,949 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 David per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1955 (86,454/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (2,517/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1979 (2,024/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1980 (1,740/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (246/yr).
David has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1955, when it ranked #2 nationally (given to 86,454 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Davida · Dovid · Daivd · Davita · Davied · Dvid · Devita · Divit
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