NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Dave

A diminutive form of David, a masculine name derived from Hebrew meaning "beloved".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Dave is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Dave popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1951, with 12 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 15 births.

This profile covers 234 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 232 living people in the UK are called Dave. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Dave ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 12 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2005, when 15 boys were registered as Dave.
  • About 232 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dave as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1951

2024

Births in 2024

12

Latest year

Peak year

2005

15 births

Estimated living

232

2026

Meaning

What does Dave mean?

The name Dave is a diminutive form of the given name David, which has its roots in the ancient Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid). The name David is derived from the Hebrew word דּוֹד (dod), meaning "beloved" or "uncle". It is speculated that the name David may have originated as an affectionate nickname, akin to "beloved one".

The name David has a rich historical significance, particularly in the Abrahamic religions. In the Hebrew Bible, David was a prominent figure, renowned for slaying the giant Goliath and later becoming the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel and Judah. His life and reign are extensively documented in the Books of Samuel and Chronicles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name David can be found in the Book of Ruth, where it appears as the name of one of Ruth's sons. The name gained widespread popularity among Jewish communities, and its use later spread to Christian and Islamic cultures.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Dave or its variants. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Dave the Armenian, a 6th-century Byzantine historian and author of the "History of the Armenian War" which documented the Byzantine-Sassanid War.

In the 12th century, Dave de Haia was a prominent Norman knight who participated in the Norman conquest of Ireland and was granted lands in County Limerick. Another notable figure was Dave Stephenson, a 14th-century English philosopher and logician who made significant contributions to the field of logic.

During the Renaissance period, Dave Brubeck, an American jazz pianist and composer (1920-2012), gained international acclaim for his innovative approaches to jazz and his iconic album "Time Out".

In the realm of literature, Dave Eggers, an American author and publisher (born in 1970), is renowned for his memoir "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" and his contributions to the literary world through his publishing house, McSweeney's.

These are just a few examples of the diverse individuals who have borne the name Dave throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark in their respective fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Dave over time

The chart below shows babies named Dave registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Dave, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 12 births in 2024, compared with 15 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Dave
0481115199720102024

Decades

Dave by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dave was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #2310 49 5
2010s #3057 67 10
2000s #1935 95 10
1990s #1601 23 3

Related

Names similar to Dave

FAQ

Dave: questions and answers

How popular is the name Dave in the UK right now?

In 2024, Dave was ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales, with 12 births registered.

When was Dave most popular?

The peak year on record was 2005, with 15 babies registered as Dave in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Dave?

A diminutive form of David, a masculine name derived from Hebrew meaning "beloved".

How many people are called Dave in the UK?

A total of 234 babies have been registered as Dave across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.