BabyNameScore

David

DAY·vid · 2 syllables

David is a familiar, currently well-used name.

87/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

  1. Pronunciation & Spelling

    Effortless

    A documented English pronunciation is on file: DAY-vid.

    91/100

  2. Everyday Use

    Low risk

    Shortens naturally in everyday use, with two established short forms.

    95/100

  3. Growing Up

    Strong lifetime fit

    Works comfortably across child and adult settings.

    82/100

  4. International Use

    Broad international fit

    Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.

    85/100

NAME DETAILS

COMMON FORMS
Dave
Davy
ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

David's religious weight is nearly unmatched among biblical names: King David's defeat of Goliath remains one of scripture's most famous stories of faith overcoming overwhelming odds, and his lineage is directly traced to Jesus in Christian tradition. Independently, Britain reinforced the name's prominence through Saint David, the ascetic 6th-century founder of Welsh monasticism and patron saint of Wales, and through two medieval Scottish kings who bore the name.

  1. דָּוִד (Dawiḏ, Hebrew). "Beloved," from Hebrew Dawiḏ, itself from doḏ ("beloved"/"uncle"). David gained particular prominence in Britain during the Middle Ages: in Wales, in honor of the 5th/6th-century patron saint (Saint David, Dewi Sant), and in Scotland, where two kings bore the name (David I and David II). Saint David of Wales, traditionally dated to somewhere between 462 and 589, was Bishop of Mynyw, founded twelve monasteries including one at Minevia (later St Davids), made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and prescribed an austere monastic rule requiring monks to pull the plough themselves and subsist on bread, salt, herbs, and water; his death on 1 March became Wales's national feast day, St David's Day.
  2. Mythological and religious contextKing David, the second and greatest king of Israel (10th century BC), is best known for his defeat of the Philistine giant Goliath as a young shepherd: refusing King Saul's armor, David faced Goliath with only a staff, sling, and five stones taken from a brook, striking Goliath in the forehead with a slung stone before beheading him with the giant's own sword, after which the Philistine army fled. The New Testament traces Jesus's lineage to David, making him a foundational figure in Christian genealogy as well as Jewish tradition.
POPULARITY

David over time

United States
#35RANK

Rank #35 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Widely recognized, but less suited to parents seeking rarity. Ranked #35 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

DAY·vid

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

COMMON FORMS
  • Dave
  • Davy
PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

Familiar, easy to say, and extremely well-established across centuries and cultures, so it will not feel unusual among peers.

INTO ADULTHOOD

One of the most historically and religiously significant names in Western tradition, David carries substantial gravitas across royal, religious, and cultural registers in adult contexts.

Cultural Footprint

A biblical Hebrew name of the highest religious significance (King David, ancestor of Jesus in Christian genealogy), independently reinforced across Britain by a 6th-century Welsh patron saint and multiple Scottish kings.

TRACEABLE ORIGIN
  1. King Davidbiblical king of Israel
  2. Saint David of Walespatron saint of Wales
  3. David Bowiemusician
  4. David Beckhamfootballer

Community Impressions

David carries some of the deepest religious weight of any name in this pack: King David's defeat of Goliath with only a sling and a stone remains one of the Bible's most retold stories of faith over overwhelming odds, and his lineage is traced directly to Jesus in Christian genealogy. Britain independently reinforced the name through Saint David, the austere 6th-century founder of Welsh monasticism and patron saint of Wales, whose feast day remains the country's national celebration, and through two medieval Scottish kings.

How this name is commonly received · not used in the score

More about David

FORMALITY

Formal in full form; "Dave" and "Davy" are well-established informal short forms.

Names around it

Dawson
EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

David is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

A documented English pronunciation is on file. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK

See how it works with a surname.

David