Declining since 1985, #2,451 for boys today.
Popularity of Dave since 1880
Babies named Dave per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,339 |
| 1890s | 1,281 |
| 1900s | 1,133 |
| 1910s | 2,716 |
| 1920s | 3,432 |
| 1930s | 4,818 |
| 1940s | 11,740 |
| 1950s | 14,837 |
| 1960s | 15,774 |
| 1970s | 2,589 |
| 1980s | 1,517 |
| 1990s | 1,106 |
| 2000s | 987 |
| 2010s | 717 |
| 2020s | 392 |
Meaning & origin
Dave is a classic diminutive of David, a name with deep biblical roots meaning 'beloved'. While David has remained perennially popular, Dave experienced its own surge in mid-20th-century America. It peaked at rank 2451 in 1959, a year when 1 in 31056 boys received the name, and has been declining since 1985. The name was first recorded in 1880, reflecting its long-standing use as a familiar form. Dave was notably popular in Florida, New York, and Texas during its heyday. Today, it retains a friendly, approachable quality, often evoking a sense of mid-century Americana.
Dave is a short form of David, from the Hebrew name Dawid, meaning 'beloved' or 'friend'. David was the second king of Israel and a central figure in the Bible. The name has been widely used in the English-speaking world for centuries, with Dave emerging as a common diminutive in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Where Dave is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Dave” around the world
Where Dave lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Quebec
8
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Dave
Names that share Dave's style, for a brother or sister.
