NameCensus.

UK surname

David

A patronymic surname derived from the Hebrew male given name David, meaning "beloved."

In the 1881 census there were 3,083 people recorded with the David surname, ranking it #1,459 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,137, ranked #936, up from #1,459 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llangafelach and Margam. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for David is 7,137 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 131.5%.

1881 census count

3,083

Ranked #1,459

Modern count

7,137

2016, ranked #936

Peak year

2016

7,137 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • David had 3,083 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,459 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,137 in 2016, ranked #936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,636 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

David surname distribution map

The map shows where the David surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

David surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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David over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 5,869 #477
1861 historical 6,636 #420
1881 historical 3,083 #1,459
1891 historical 4,310 #1,105
1901 historical 3,541 #1,577
1911 historical 4,002 #1,277
1997 modern 5,823 #1,124
1998 modern 5,979 #1,136
1999 modern 5,868 #1,160
2000 modern 5,649 #1,207
2001 modern 5,093 #1,305
2002 modern 5,349 #1,269
2003 modern 5,306 #1,251
2004 modern 5,421 #1,223
2005 modern 5,431 #1,195
2006 modern 5,641 #1,149
2007 modern 5,807 #1,135
2008 modern 5,895 #1,127
2009 modern 6,171 #1,105
2010 modern 6,436 #1,078
2011 modern 6,449 #1,059
2012 modern 6,639 #1,007
2013 modern 6,861 #994
2014 modern 7,013 #977
2015 modern 6,997 #971
2016 modern 7,137 #936

Geography

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Where Davids are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llangafelach, Margam, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Llantrisaint. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and The Vale of Glamorgan. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Llangafelach Glamorganshire
3 Margam Glamorganshire
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Llantrisaint Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 008 Bridgend
2 Bridgend 014 Bridgend
3 Neath Port Talbot 018 Neath Port Talbot
4 Neath Port Talbot 017 Neath Port Talbot
5 The Vale of Glamorgan 001 Vale of Glamorgan

Forenames

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First names often paired with David

These lists show first names that appear often with the David surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for David

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For David, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the David surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every David household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, David is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

David is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

David falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for David is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with David, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of David

The surname DAVID originated in Wales during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Welsh word 'dafydd' meaning 'beloved'. The name likely evolved from the personal name David, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'beloved'.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname DAVID can be found in medieval Welsh records and manuscripts from the 13th century. One notable example is the mention of a Rhys ap David in the 'Annales Cambriae' chronicles from 1265.

In England, the surname DAVID is first documented in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a John David from Oxfordshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any mentions of the surname, indicating it emerged later during the Norman period.

Over time, variations of the spelling developed, including Davids, Davyd, and Daveys. Some of these were influenced by regional dialects and accents. The surname also became associated with certain place names, such as Davidstow in Cornwall and Daventry in Northamptonshire.

Notable historical figures with the surname DAVID include Sir John David (1598-1666), a Welsh lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons. Another was David ap Gwilym (c.1340-c.1400), a renowned Welsh poet considered one of the greatest poets of the Middle Ages.

Other famous bearers of the surname include George David (1738-1817), a Welsh industrialist and founder of the Pembrokeshire Coalbrookdale Company, and John David (1545-1626), a Welsh Anglican bishop who served as Bishop of St Asaph.

In Scotland, the surname DAVID is also found, possibly introduced through Welsh or English settlers. One notable Scot was David Brewster (1781-1868), a renowned physicist, mathematician, and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of optics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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David families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the David surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Glamorgan leads with 2,003 Davids recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.82x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 2,003 37.82x
Middlesex 204 0.67x
Carmarthenshire 123 9.59x
Angus 99 3.51x
Monmouthshire 95 4.32x
Surrey 45 0.30x
Gloucestershire 43 0.72x
Channel Islands 40 4.44x
Somerset 37 0.76x
Kent 36 0.35x
Pembrokeshire 36 3.72x
Yorkshire 32 0.11x
Hampshire 30 0.48x
Sussex 29 0.57x
Berkshire 20 0.88x
Lancashire 20 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 18 0.64x
Warwickshire 18 0.23x
Essex 17 0.28x
Devon 14 0.22x
Staffordshire 14 0.14x
Northumberland 13 0.29x
Renfrewshire 13 0.55x
Worcestershire 13 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.24x
Cheshire 9 0.13x
Midlothian 9 0.22x
Brecknockshire 8 1.32x
Lanarkshire 7 0.07x
Rutland 6 2.69x
Shropshire 6 0.23x
Suffolk 6 0.16x
Derbyshire 5 0.11x
Dorset 5 0.25x
Wiltshire 5 0.19x
Royal Navy 4 1.10x
Durham 3 0.03x
Anglesey 2 0.37x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.10x
Cardiganshire 2 0.27x
Hertfordshire 2 0.10x
Kincardineshire 2 0.54x
Merionethshire 2 0.36x
Orkney 2 0.60x
Caithness 1 0.24x
Cumberland 1 0.04x
Flintshire 1 0.12x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.05x
Radnorshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Margam in Glamorgan leads with 220 Davids recorded in 1881 and an index of 372.50x.

Place Total Index
Margam 220 372.50x
Llantrisant 91 68.17x
Pyle 87 890.48x
Tythegston Higher 77 478.86x
Newton Nottage 72 495.53x
Coyty Lower 70 203.61x
Coyty Higher 58 1082.09x
Llandaff 58 32.92x
Dundee 53 5.04x
Ystradyfodwg 50 10.76x
Newcastle Lower 48 434.00x
Clase 45 22.85x
Roath 40 16.63x
Laugharne 37 217.78x
Pembrey 36 61.07x
Llantwit Major 35 338.82x
Aberdare 34 9.35x
Kenfig 34 1188.81x
Cardiff St Mary 33 11.31x
Llanelly 33 11.43x
Cowbridge 32 250.59x
Laleston 28 500.00x
St Athan 28 705.29x
Kirriemuir 26 37.39x
Swansea Town 26 5.99x
Cardiff St John 25 14.45x
Cwmdu 25 38.75x
Rhyndwyclydach 25 68.05x
Eglwysilan 24 26.12x
Neath 24 22.27x
Pencoed 24 294.12x
Newcastle Higher 23 63.96x
St Brides Major 23 324.86x
St Mellons 22 353.13x
St Peter Port 22 13.20x
Llancarvan 21 357.75x
Aberavon 20 41.03x
Bow London 20 5.17x
Croydon 20 2.43x
Kensington London 20 1.18x
Llandyfodwg 20 66.60x
Penlline 20 628.93x
Peterstone Super 20 816.33x
Llangynwyd Lower 19 404.26x
Welsh St Donats 19 848.21x
Coychurch Higher 18 540.54x
Llanhary 18 666.67x
Llansamlet Lower 18 37.55x
St Pancras London 18 0.74x
Ewenny 17 559.21x
Llangeinor 17 54.52x
Llanharan 17 311.36x
St Martin In Fields 17 9.34x
Ystradowen 17 735.93x
Bethnal Green London 16 1.21x
Birmingham 16 0.63x
Cardiff St Fagan 15 298.80x
Colwinstone 15 678.73x
Curry Rivell 15 91.58x
Leckwith 15 120.39x
Llangynwyd Higher 15 58.96x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 2.66x
Llanilid 14 1157.02x
St Mary Church 14 1386.14x
Wick 14 370.37x
Llangan St Mary Hill 13 336.79x
St George In East London 13 4.54x
St Vigeans 13 8.55x
St Woollos 13 5.30x
Strood 13 21.96x
Coychurch Lower 12 439.56x
Baglan Lower 11 199.64x
Hackney London 11 0.65x
Llanblethian 11 145.89x
Paddington London 11 0.98x
Gloucester Barton St 10 28.60x
Llandow 10 751.88x
Merthyr Tydfil 10 1.96x
Penarth 10 19.32x
Penmark 10 200.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the David surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 269
Elizabeth 122
Ann 108
Margaret 90
Catherine 83
Sarah 76
Jane 50
Alice 27
Hannah 27
Martha 27
Annie 24
Anne 23
Eliza 23
Ellen 19
Emma 18
Gwenllian 16
Maria 16
Margret 14
Rachel 14
Edith 13
Emily 13
Harriet 12
Kate 11
Jennet 10
Caroline 9
Louisa 9
Rebecca 9
Eleanor 8
Charlotte 7
Amelia 6
Amy 6
Cathrine 6
Ada 5
Cecilia 5
Clara 5
Janet 5
Julia 5
Margt. 5
Sophia 5
Susannah 5
Cath. 4
Elizth. 4
Esther 4
Fanny 4
Gwen 4
Lucy 4
Maggie 4
Marie 4
Rosa 4
Selina 4

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the David surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 212
Thomas 190
John 179
David 104
Evan 79
Edward 57
James 32
Richard 31
George 29
Daniel 25
Henry 25
Morgan 24
Jenkin 20
Charles 18
Samuel 18
Rees 14
Wm. 14
Arthur 13
Joseph 13
Walter 13
Frederick 12
Lewis 11
Edwin 10
Robert 10
Ernest 7
Howell 7
Phillip 7
Thos. 7
Benjamin 6
Griffith 6
Herbert 6
Hopkin 6
Job 6
Llewellyn 6
Alfred 5
Edmund 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Harry 5
Philip 5
Albert 4
Alexander 4
Chas. 4
Ivor 4
Jacob 4
Mathew 4
Michael 4
Moses 4
W. 4
Leyshon 3

FAQ

David surname: questions and answers

How common was the David surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,083 people were recorded with the David surname. That placed it at #1,459 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the David surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,137 in 2016. That gives David a modern rank of #936.

What does the David surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the Hebrew male given name David, meaning "beloved."

What does the David map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of David bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.