David
Hebrew Dawid, usually read as “beloved.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
The shepherd king of Israel; beloved across Christian and Jewish families alike, it was one of the giants of the baby boom.
David appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 2025. In 1960 it was the single most popular name for American boys. Its biggest year was 1955, when 86,306 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 2 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1960, at No. 1. In 2025 it ranked No. 35 for boys. All told, 3,689,613 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Daivd (1,026), Davide (906) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Jesse, Dave, Ira, Dewey
Explore David interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 7,569 | No. 18 |
| 1890s | 7,333 | No. 24 |
| 1900s | 8,619 | No. 29 |
| 1910s | 43,853 | No. 27 |
| 1920s | 88,736 | No. 17 |
| 1930s | 164,701 | No. 7 |
| 1940s | 426,372 | No. 5 |
| 1950s | 769,963 | No. 2 |
| 1960s | 733,953 | No. 1 |
| 1970s | 445,704 | No. 3 |
| 1980s | 383,687 | No. 4 |
| 1990s | 253,711 | No. 6 |
| 2000s | 180,098 | No. 12 |
| 2010s | 116,740 | No. 15 |
| 2020s | 45,615 | No. 27 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.