Baby Name of the Day: Davis

The baby name Davis updates the classic David, combining Biblical roots with a current sound.

Thanks to Elisabeth for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME DAVIS MEAN?

As a first name, David is a heavy hitter.

It comes from a Hebrew word meaning beloved. The Old Testament King David started out as a shepherd. He defeated Goliath in a story widely known well beyond religious circles.

Legend tells that David went on to reign over Israel as an ideal ruler, sometime in the 9th or 10th century BC. 

The New Testament explains that Jesus descended from David, and parallels between their stories are many. 

Popular across Europe during the Middle Ages, David caught on in the English-speaking world early. In Wales, a 6th century David or Dewi serves as the country’s patron saint. Scottish kings have answered to David. Famous figures include philosopher David Hume and naturalist David Attenborough; musician David Bowie and footballer David Beckham. 

Fictional characters range from Charles’ Dickens David Copperfield to Schitt’s Creek’s David Rose. In the late 1980s, Canadian Sketch comedy The Kids in the Hall even gave us “These are the Daves I Know,” cataloging just how common the name became. 

This list goes on and on. It’s a name with enduring, timeless appeal. 

So no surprise that plenty of surnames evolved from David, all sharing the same meaning and origin.

SURNAME FORMS OF DAVID

Davidson means “son of David.” But unlike Jackson or Harrison, this -son name isn’t commonly used as a given name.

Davies and Davids and even just David are heard. But it’s Davis that fits best with current trends. We’re wild about names ending with S, like Brooks and Wells.

That makes the baby name Davis a potential standout.

MILES DAVIS and MORE 

Surnames borrowed from musical heroes are well-established in the 21st century. Choices like Lennon, Hendrix, and Marley have all seen considerable use.

Jazz legend Miles Davis takes this name in a musical direction, too. One of the most accomplished jazz trumpeters of all time, his remarkable career spanned more than five decades. Davis’ 1959 recording Kind of Blue remains the best-selling jazz album of all-time. A bandleader and composer as well as a trumpeter, nearly every jazz innovation in the 20th century ties back to his work. 

No question that the musician behind Birth of the Cool boosted both his first and last names.

Of course, as surnames go, Davis is widely heard:

• There’s a University of California campus with the name, just west of Sacramento. It’s named for the city of Davis, in turn named for Jerome Davis, an early landowner in the city’s development.
• Since 1900, countries have competed to win the Davis Cup in tennis. 
• Professional golfers include Davis Love Jr. and his son, Davis Love III.
• Actor Davis Gaines is best known for playing the title role in Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera. 
• Davis Guggenheim is a documentary filmmaker. 
• Both Smallville and One Tree Hill used the name for characters, among others.
• There’s a minor member of the X-Men by the name, seen only in the comics to date.

On a problematic note, it’s also the surname of the president of the Confederacy during the US Civil War. That feels like a reason to avoid the name, and yet, the legacy of Miles Davis feels greater – just as it should. 

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME DAVIS?

The baby name Davis consistently ranks in the US Top 1000, probably thanks to the practice of handing down family surnames as a first or middle name.

It rose slightly in the 1990s and early 2000s, but never quite caught on.

As of 2024, the baby name Davis ranked #645, declining in recent years.

UNEXPECTED AND ON-TREND

The baby name Davis fills a middle spot between solid classics like William and modern surname favorites like Hayes. 

If you’re looking for a compromise between James and Townes, Davis could be the perfect baby name for your family. 

Would you consider the baby name Davis?

First published on June 11, 2014, this post was revised on April 9, 2020 and March 24, 2026.