Davy: meaning “Beloved”, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

What it means

Davy is a variant of David. “Beloved” or “darling” is a traditional interpretation. The original linguistic explanation is less certain than that familiar meaning may suggest. Davy is a variant of Davina. In Scottish use, Davina carries the interpretation “the beloved one.”

Explained through its name family

Where it comes from

Davy is a variant of David. David is a Hebrew biblical name, although its precise Hebrew derivation remains uncertain.

Explained through its name family

How it developed

In English usage, Davy is a diminutive of David. Davy is an affectionate form of David. Davy is a variant of David. The shared background comes through David: One explanation connects David with a Hebrew nursery word meaning “darling.” This remains a proposed derivation rather than an established breakdown into separate elements.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1917. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Davy is a variant of David. The history of David gives this family its wider story. The biblical David is remembered as the young challenger of Goliath and later king of Israel. In Britain, the patron saint of Wales and two medieval Scottish kings gave the name further local associations.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Davy through the years

Babies since 1880: 3,008; 2,682 boys · 326 girls
Most popular year: 1955; 195 babies
2025: 39; #5,966 for girls · #5,078 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: +54%; Rising fast

Boys Girls

Davy in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1917–2025, per million births of each sex. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inTexas

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Texas (5).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 20 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,966 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 66.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 19 birth records for boys in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,450 as a first name in 2020; 3,370 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Davy’s family of names

In English usage, Davy is a diminutive of David. Davy has a related form in Davina. Davy is an affectionate form of David.

Walk Davy’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Davy has relatives in 3 languages.

3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 5

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 1

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

戴維romanization

Across languages 9

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

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Dávidequivalent

People named Davy

Characters named Davy: Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean).

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Davy, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Shared

Sibling ideas

Names that share Davy’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Davy

A sister for Davy

Your shortlist

Davy