Fun Facts About the Name Dave
- A favorite of earlier generations: Dave appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 2 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1884 through 1884.
- More than 64 thousand babies named Dave: U.S. records list 64,497 babies given the name Dave from 1880 through 2025. Even 114 girls received the name Dave - about 1 girl for every 565 boys.
What Does the Name Dave Mean?
Dave is an English short form of David. The parent name comes from Hebrew דָּוִד (Dawid), traditionally explained as "beloved." That meaning is usually linked to the Hebrew word dod, which can mean "beloved" or "uncle," though the precise derivation of the biblical name is uncertain. Some scholars have proposed other Semitic connections, including Akkadian dādu, "beloved" or "darling." In English usage, the customary meaning of David - and therefore of Dave - is "beloved."
Dave Name History & Origins
Dave is a clipped, informal form of David rather than a separate ancient name. Its history follows the history of David in English. The name David appears in the Hebrew Bible as דָּוִד (Dawid), the name of the shepherd who became king of Israel and is traditionally associated with the Psalms. Greek-speaking Jews and Christians rendered the name as Δαυίδ (Dauid), and Latin used David; from there it passed into European languages, including English. David was known in medieval England and became more widely used among English Protestants after the Reformation, when biblical names were favored. The short form Dave belongs to that later English tradition: it drops the final syllable of David and has long served as a familiar nickname. It is also used as an independent given name in English-speaking countries.
How Popular is the Name Dave?
Dave recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1959. Dave ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1881 through 1881, then returned in 1884 and remained through 1884.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | #7,706 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #7,007 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #6,967 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #6,805 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #4,976 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #5,845 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #5,007 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #5,013 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #5,471 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1944 | #3,445 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1941 | #3,647 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #3,579 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1931 | #3,560 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1927 | #3,940 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #4,510 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #3,300 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1917 | #4,748 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1882 | #939 | 5 | 0.0046% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,456 | 55 | 0.0032% |
| 2024 | #2,012 | 76 | 0.0044% |
| 2023 | #2,194 | 65 | 0.0038% |
| 2022 | #2,356 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 2021 | #2,200 | 64 | 0.0037% |
| 2020 | #1,981 | 72 | 0.0042% |
| 2019 | #2,152 | 66 | 0.0037% |
| 2018 | #1,941 | 76 | 0.0042% |
| 2017 | #1,830 | 81 | 0.0044% |
| 2016 | #2,369 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 2015 | #2,152 | 64 | 0.0033% |
| 2014 | #1,893 | 77 | 0.0040% |
| 2013 | #1,833 | 78 | 0.0041% |
| 2012 | #1,864 | 78 | 0.0041% |
| 2011 | #1,972 | 70 | 0.0037% |
| 2010 | #1,960 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2009 | #1,791 | 84 | 0.0042% |
| 2008 | #1,642 | 94 | 0.0046% |
| 2007 | #1,555 | 101 | 0.0049% |
| 2006 | #1,605 | 90 | 0.0044% |
| 2005 | #1,463 | 100 | 0.0050% |
| 2004 | #1,418 | 100 | 0.0050% |
| 2003 | #1,255 | 115 | 0.0058% |
| 2002 | #1,245 | 109 | 0.0056% |
| 2001 | #1,328 | 98 | 0.0050% |
| 2000 | #1,335 | 96 | 0.0049% |
| 1999 | #1,224 | 103 | 0.0054% |
| 1998 | #1,303 | 91 | 0.0048% |
| 1997 | #1,266 | 91 | 0.0048% |
| 1996 | #1,238 | 90 | 0.0048% |
| 1995 | #1,056 | 113 | 0.0059% |
| 1994 | #1,039 | 115 | 0.0060% |
| 1993 | #975 | 123 | 0.0063% |
| 1992 | #974 | 123 | 0.0062% |
| 1991 | #911 | 133 | 0.0066% |
| 1990 | #926 | 124 | 0.0060% |
| 1989 | #891 | 128 | 0.0064% |
| 1988 | #743 | 162 | 0.0085% |
| 1987 | #803 | 134 | 0.0072% |
| 1986 | #762 | 142 | 0.0077% |
| 1985 | #721 | 150 | 0.0081% |
| 1984 | #708 | 152 | 0.0084% |
| 1983 | #704 | 148 | 0.0083% |
| 1982 | #666 | 172 | 0.0095% |
| 1981 | #658 | 170 | 0.0095% |
| 1980 | #685 | 160 | 0.0090% |
| 1979 | #686 | 155 | 0.0090% |
| 1978 | #654 | 165 | 0.0100% |
| 1977 | #610 | 189 | 0.0115% |
| 1976 | #609 | 181 | 0.0115% |
| 1975 | #591 | 186 | 0.0119% |
| 1974 | #527 | 227 | 0.0144% |
| 1973 | #504 | 240 | 0.0154% |
| 1972 | #448 | 313 | 0.0193% |
| 1971 | #398 | 414 | 0.0234% |
| 1970 | #357 | 521 | 0.0280% |
| 1969 | #326 | 562 | 0.0314% |
| 1968 | #284 | 667 | 0.0384% |
| 1967 | #258 | 773 | 0.0443% |
| 1966 | #240 | 868 | 0.0487% |
| 1965 | #211 | 1,159 | 0.0623% |
| 1964 | #179 | 1,535 | 0.0770% |
| 1963 | #161 | 1,996 | 0.0983% |
| 1962 | #145 | 2,362 | 0.1142% |
| 1961 | #130 | 2,802 | 0.1319% |
| 1960 | #122 | 3,050 | 0.1431% |
| 1959 | #119 | 3,308 | 0.1550% |
| 1958 | #126 | 2,958 | 0.1394% |
| 1957 | #155 | 2,181 | 0.1011% |
| 1956 | #200 | 1,355 | 0.0641% |
| 1955 | #223 | 1,051 | 0.0510% |
| 1954 | #240 | 834 | 0.0409% |
| 1953 | #245 | 768 | 0.0389% |
| 1952 | #243 | 768 | 0.0395% |
| 1951 | #246 | 743 | 0.0395% |
| 1950 | #216 | 874 | 0.0488% |
| 1949 | #182 | 1,163 | 0.0656% |
| 1948 | #161 | 1,508 | 0.0859% |
| 1947 | #155 | 1,693 | 0.0925% |
| 1946 | #160 | 1,398 | 0.0861% |
| 1945 | #164 | 1,077 | 0.0800% |
| 1944 | #163 | 1,125 | 0.0825% |
| 1943 | #167 | 1,089 | 0.0763% |
| 1942 | #162 | 1,054 | 0.0763% |
| 1941 | #177 | 864 | 0.0703% |
| 1940 | #186 | 769 | 0.0663% |
| 1939 | #193 | 663 | 0.0599% |
| 1938 | #203 | 626 | 0.0564% |
| 1937 | #205 | 593 | 0.0556% |
| 1936 | #220 | 525 | 0.0506% |
| 1935 | #247 | 469 | 0.0450% |
| 1934 | #251 | 458 | 0.0444% |
| 1933 | #272 | 375 | 0.0378% |
| 1932 | #277 | 387 | 0.0371% |
| 1931 | #283 | 383 | 0.0368% |
| 1930 | #309 | 339 | 0.0309% |
| 1929 | #304 | 332 | 0.0309% |
| 1928 | #310 | 324 | 0.0293% |
| 1927 | #293 | 378 | 0.0335% |
| 1926 | #301 | 353 | 0.0318% |
| 1925 | #300 | 362 | 0.0324% |
| 1924 | #309 | 343 | 0.0303% |
| 1923 | #324 | 322 | 0.0294% |
| 1922 | #318 | 325 | 0.0299% |
| 1921 | #332 | 320 | 0.0291% |
| 1920 | #291 | 373 | 0.0350% |
| 1919 | #277 | 361 | 0.0368% |
| 1918 | #287 | 358 | 0.0353% |
| 1917 | #289 | 322 | 0.0348% |
| 1916 | #282 | 329 | 0.0370% |
| 1915 | #293 | 295 | 0.0348% |
| 1914 | #267 | 267 | 0.0408% |
| 1913 | #235 | 249 | 0.0486% |
| 1912 | #233 | 222 | 0.0516% |
| 1911 | #219 | 135 | 0.0597% |
| 1910 | #169 | 178 | 0.0917% |
| 1909 | #209 | 102 | 0.0622% |
| 1908 | #184 | 116 | 0.0752% |
| 1907 | #193 | 107 | 0.0729% |
| 1906 | #185 | 98 | 0.0736% |
| 1905 | #150 | 137 | 0.1035% |
| 1904 | #177 | 102 | 0.0796% |
| 1903 | #185 | 88 | 0.0738% |
| 1902 | #157 | 112 | 0.0913% |
| 1901 | #150 | 105 | 0.0986% |
| 1900 | #135 | 166 | 0.1103% |
| 1899 | #133 | 120 | 0.1130% |
| 1898 | #140 | 127 | 0.1035% |
| 1897 | #134 | 121 | 0.1073% |
| 1896 | #141 | 118 | 0.0987% |
| 1895 | #120 | 139 | 0.1184% |
| 1894 | #121 | 129 | 0.1114% |
| 1893 | #134 | 113 | 0.1006% |
| 1892 | #122 | 138 | 0.1131% |
| 1891 | #113 | 124 | 0.1225% |
| 1890 | #110 | 152 | 0.1369% |
| 1889 | #120 | 116 | 0.1049% |
| 1888 | #114 | 146 | 0.1208% |
| 1887 | #120 | 111 | 0.1095% |
| 1886 | #112 | 139 | 0.1255% |
| 1885 | #109 | 128 | 0.1187% |
| 1884 | #97 | 159 | 0.1389% |
| 1883 | #101 | 135 | 0.1290% |
| 1882 | #106 | 139 | 0.1223% |
| 1881 | #95 | 135 | 0.1340% |
| 1880 | #102 | 131 | 0.1186% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
