BoyHebrew origin2 syllables

David

Meaning: “Beloved”

About the name David

David is a boy name with Hebrew roots, meaning “Beloved”.

It has a classic feel. In 2025, David ranked #35 for boys in the US, with 6,794 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1955. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named David were boys.

Etymology

From Biblical Hebrew, meaning literally “beloved”.

Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“David”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.

US rank 2025: #35
In 2015: #18
Babies in 2025: 6,794

Popularity of David, 1940–2025

Boys GirlsBabies per year in the US

Latest SSA data: 2025.

Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).

Nicknames for David

Dave
Davy
Davey

Names similar to David

Daniel“God is my judge”
Danny“God is my judge”
AaronOrigin debated
Adam“earth, man, soil, light brown”
CalebOrigin debated
Dovid“beloved”
Ethan“Strong, firm”
Isaac“He will laugh”
JacobOrigin debated
JesseOrigin debated

Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.