David is a name of Hebrew origin that means "beloved" or "uncle." It is derived from the root verb davar, which translates to "speak" or "word." In the Bible, David is the second king of Israel who was renowned for his courage and wisdom. He was also known for slaying the giant Goliath with a single stone thrown from his slingshot. Throughout history, this name has been associated with many prominent figures, including several saints, kings, and artists. Today, David remains a popular choice for boys' names around the world.
The name David experienced significant fluctuations and growth over the years. The late 1800s saw a steady decline from 869 births in 1880 to a low of 646 births in 1899. However, it began an upward trend in the early 1900s, with a sharp increase starting around 1957. The name reached its peak popularity between 1958 and 1962, with over 80,000 births each year during this period.
After these peak years, the number of babies named David began to decrease gradually but steadily. By the early 2000s, it had fallen below 10,000 births per year. The most recent data from 2022 shows that there were only 7,354 babies named David, indicating a continued decline in popularity for this once-prevalent name.
Throughout its history, the name David has been awarded to approximately 3,662,190 individuals, based on the aggregated annual birth data from 1880 to 2022.