David
A male given name from Hebrew.
Every David since 1880 — 3,689,613 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of David
David is a top-50 name for boys in the United States, ranked #35 in 2025 with 6,794 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 3,689,613 American babies have been named David. Its peak came in 1955, when 86,454 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where David stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
David year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | #12,214 | 6,794 | #35 |
| 2024 | 7 | #12,482 | 7,369 | #31 |
| 2023 | 8 | #11,442 | 7,420 | #27 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14,018 | 7,829 | #31 |
| 2021 | 11 | #9,115 | 7,940 | #30 |
| 2020 | 10 | #9,734 | 8,263 | #28 |
| 2019 | 12 | #8,717 | 8,989 | #27 |
| 2018 | 14 | #7,869 | 9,812 | #22 |
| 2017 | 9 | #10,908 | 10,244 | #22 |
| 2016 | 15 | #7,689 | 11,153 | #19 |
| 2015 | 19 | #6,522 | 11,838 | #18 |
| 2014 | 13 | #8,597 | 12,259 | #17 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7,858 | 12,400 | #17 |
| 2012 | 18 | #6,941 | 12,565 | #20 |
| 2011 | 20 | #6,397 | 13,258 | #18 |
| 2010 | 25 | #5,466 | 14,222 | #15 |
| 2009 | 16 | #7,776 | 15,457 | #14 |
| 2008 | 22 | #6,187 | 16,347 | #14 |
| 2007 | 24 | #5,759 | 17,573 | #12 |
| 2006 | 30 | #4,712 | 17,671 | #13 |
| 2005 | 25 | #5,142 | 18,144 | #12 |
| 2004 | 66 | #2,534 | 18,412 | #14 |
| 2003 | 31 | #4,239 | 18,641 | #14 |
| 2002 | 38 | #3,538 | 18,704 | #13 |
| 2001 | 41 | #3,327 | 19,362 | #12 |
| 2000 | 44 | #3,130 | 19,787 | #16 |
| 1995 | 69 | #1,988 | 23,045 | #16 |
| 1990 | 120 | #1,336 | 33,748 | #6 |
| 1985 | 290 | #640 | 38,522 | #6 |
| 1980 | 291 | #626 | 41,891 | #4 |
| 1975 | 237 | #646 | 39,156 | #5 |
| 1970 | 290 | #600 | 61,728 | #3 |
| 1965 | 218 | #667 | 67,825 | #3 |
| 1960 | 222 | #685 | 85,929 | #1 |
| 1955 | 148 | #791 | 86,306 | #2 |
| 1950 | 134 | #743 | 60,729 | #5 |
| 1945 | 87 | #810 | 37,110 | #6 |
| 1940 | 84 | #762 | 27,690 | #7 |
| 1935 | 60 | #894 | 15,663 | #11 |
| 1930 | 86 | #755 | 12,275 | #15 |
| 1925 | 40 | #1,229 | 8,915 | #22 |
| 1920 | 33 | #1,382 | 7,444 | #25 |
| 1915 | 31 | #1,264 | 5,394 | #31 |
| 1910 | 9 | #1,660 | 1,258 | #30 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,572 | 838 | #32 |
| 1900 | 9 | #1,344 | 883 | #32 |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,652 | 707 | #32 |
| 1890 | — | — | 731 | #26 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,080 | 712 | #22 |
| 1880 | — | — | 869 | #18 |
Famous people named David
- David Politician · -1010–-970
- David Hume Philosopher · 1711–1776
- David Ben-Gurion Politician · 1886–1973
- David Ricardo Economist · 1772–1823
- David Hilbert Mathematician · 1862–1943
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name David mean?
A male given name from Hebrew.
How popular is the name David in 2025?
David ranked #35 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 6,794 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named David?
3,689,613 babies have been named David in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name David most popular?
David peaked in 1955, when 86,454 newborns received the name.
Is David a boy or girl name?
David is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name David rising or falling?
David is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named David?
Well-known people named David include David (politician), David Hume (philosopher), David Ben-Gurion (politician).