Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2009

Davidson

Meaning son/descendant of David Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,972 Trend ↑ Rising 11%

Davidson is a patronymic surname, meaning "son/descendant of David".

Rank 2025
#3,972
among boys · ↑1,746 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
27
named Davidson
How common
1 in 63,262
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2009
38 babies
All-time total
1,144
#4,719 all-time among boys
First recorded
1924
in Social Security records

Davidson popularity over time

1,144 babies have been named Davidson since 1924, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2017Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s 5 1 – #4,494
1930s 6 1 +20% #3,459
1940s 8 1 +33% #2,831
1950s 12 1 +50% #3,317
1960s 13 1 +8% #3,038
1970s 60 6 +362% #3,402
1980s 137 14 +128% #2,621
1990s 200 20 +46% #2,454
2000s 272 27 +36% #2,903
2010s 286 29 +5% #3,081
2020s (to 2025) 145 24 -16% #3,479

Where Davidson is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 27 0.02 outside top 500
2027 28 0.02 outside top 500
2028 28 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 29 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Davidson

Davidson is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,972 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1924, 1,144 American babies have been named Davidson. Its peak came in 2009, when 38 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Davidson stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Davidson?

The median living Davidson is about 20 years old; half are between 10 and 32. An estimated 1,100 people named Davidson are alive in the United States today.

median 20 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Davidson year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 27 #3,972
2024 16 #5,718
2023 28 #3,914
2022 33 #3,479
2021 24 #4,271
2020 17 #5,298
2019 29 #3,739
2018 20 #4,785
2017 38 #3,081
2016 31 #3,543
2015 32 #3,447
2014 32 #3,389
2013 19 #4,841
2012 25 #4,038
2011 35 #3,180
2010 25 #4,018
2009 38 #3,063
2008 22 #4,429
2007 24 #4,145
2006 23 #4,125
2005 32 #3,183
2004 35 #2,903
2003 22 #3,871
2002 30 #3,033
2001 27 #3,248
2000 19 #4,093
1995 17 #3,733
1990 17 #3,494
1985 19 #2,621
1980 10 #3,903
1975 6 #4,938
1970 8 #3,585
1965 8 #3,038
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Davidson

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Davidson Black Davidson Black Canadian anthropologist 1884–1934 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Davidson, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Davidson?

The median living Davidson is about 20 years old. Half of all living Davidsons are between 10 and 32 years old.

How many people named Davidson are alive today?

An estimated 1,100 people named Davidson are alive in the United States, based on 1,144 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Davidson mean?

Davidson is a patronymic surname, meaning "son/descendant of David".

How popular is the name Davidson in 2025?

Davidson ranked #3,972 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Davidson?

1,144 babies have been named Davidson in the United States since 1924, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Davidson most popular?

Davidson peaked in 2009, when 38 newborns received the name.

Is Davidson a boy or girl name?

Davidson is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Davidson rising or falling?

Davidson has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Davidson become more popular?

Davidson looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Davidson in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Davidson?

Well-known people named Davidson include Davidson Black (archaeologist).

Names like Davidson

Names that sound and feel close to Davidson: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Davidson with similar names → More names starting with D →