Explore the Family Name David
The meaning of David
Jewish, Welsh, Scottish, English, French, Breton, Portuguese, Czech, Croatian, and Slovenian; Hungarian (Dávid), Slovak (mainly Dávid): from the Hebrew personal name David (in Hungarian and Slovak spelled Dávid), interpreted as ‘beloved’. The name has been perennially popular among Jews, in honor of the Biblical king of this name. His prominence, and the vivid narrative of his life contained in the First Book of Samuel, led to adoption of the name among Christians in the Middle Ages in various parts of Europe. In Britain, the popularity of this as a personal name was increased for two reasons. Firstly by virtue of its being the name of the patron saint of Wales who was abbot-bishop in the 6th century at what became known as Saint David’s in Pembrokeshire. There are numerous dedications and placenames honouring the saint in south Wales, and it is no coincidence that the modern surname is heavily concentrated there, especially in Glamorgan. Secondly, the name was borne by two kings of Scotland (David I, reigning 1124–53, and David II, 1329–71). Its popularity in Russia is largely due to the fact that this was the ecclesiastical name adopted by Saint Gleb (died 1015), one of two sons of Prince Vladimir of Kiev who were martyred for their Christian zeal. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from some other languages, especially Assyrian/Chaldean Dawid and Arabic Daud (with variants, such as Daoud and Dawood). History: Guillaume David from France married Marie Armand in Trois-Rivières, QC, in 1656. — This surname is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name David in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname David has seen a significant rise in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 818th and had a count of 38,659, corresponding to 14.33 people per 100,000 with this surname. By 2010, its rank improved to 782nd, and the count increased to 44,040, which equates to 14.93 per 100,000 people. This change represents a 4.4% increase in rank and a 13.92% increase in count.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #818 | #782 | 4.4% |
| Count | 38,659 | 44,040 | 13.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 14.33 | 14.93 | 4.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name David
In terms of ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest portion of individuals with the surname David identified as White, although the percentage decreased slightly from 65.29% in 2000 to 59.45% in 2010. During the same period, there was an increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 10.50% to 13.85%) and Hispanic (from 6.03% to 7.59%). The percentage of Blacks also rose marginally from 13.75% to 14.86%. However, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native or holding two or more races saw slight decreases.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.29% | 59.45% | -8.94% |
| Black | 13.75% | 14.86% | 8.07% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 10.5% | 13.85% | 31.9% |
| Hispanic | 6.03% | 7.59% | 25.87% |
| Two or More Races | 2.6% | 2.52% | -3.08% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.84% | 1.73% | -5.98% |
David ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname David is British & Irish, which comprises 29.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.8%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (7.8%). Additional ancestries include Filipino & Austronesian, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Levantine, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 29.0% |
| French & German | 17.8% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 7.8% |
| Other | 45.5% |
Possible origins of the surname David
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name David have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 53.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 53.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 53.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 52.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 52.70% |
What David haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname David is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Miller, Brown, Simon, Clark, Taylor, Cooper, Robinson, Newman, Green.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with David surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname David have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"David" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"David" Surname 26.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"David" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"David" Surname 36.2%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name David?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname David are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition