Masterpiece Generator Name Generator
How popular is the name David?
Births per year, rank history and how many Davids are alive today.
David (male) is currently the 64th most popular boys' name in England and Wales, with 788 babies given the name in 2024. The name peaked in 1964, when it was the most popular boys' name outright, given to around 26,100 babies. It was almost as popular in 1944, with around 25,800 babies given the name that year. It has declined since 1964; the 2024 figure is roughly 3% of its peak. Numbers have been falling in recent years. At least 160,000 babies have been named David in England and Wales since 1904. Figures before 1996 are estimates.
The David you are most likely to meet is around 63 years old. Half of all Davids born in England and Wales are between 51 and 75, and there are at least 900,000 of them alive today. If you walk into a room of 100 males, there's roughly a 95% chance that at least one of them will be called David.
How many babies are named David each year?
Where does David rank among boys' names?
Where this data comes from
Figures from 1996 onwards are the Office for National Statistics' annual baby-name registrations for England and Wales, which record every name given to three or more babies in a year. Figures before 1996 are estimates: the ONS published only top-100 rankings at ten-year intervals back to 1904, so counts for those years are modelled from the rankings, calibrated against Douglas Galbi's long-run research into English name frequencies, and shown with an uncertainty band. Estimates of living bearers combine these birth figures with national life tables and ONS mid-year population estimates.
One limit worth naming: these figures count names as registered at birth. Anyone who changes their name later in life - including trans people, and anyone who adopts a different name by deed poll or simply by use - is not reflected here. Birth registrations record where a name began, not the name a person lives with.
Common questions
When was the name David most popular?
David peaked in 1964, when around 26,100 babies in England and Wales were given the name.
How many people are called David?
At least 900,000 people named David born in England and Wales are alive today.
How old is the typical David?
Most living Davids are between 51 and 75; the most common age is about 63.
Is David becoming more or less popular?
Declining: recent figures are a fraction of the 1964 peak.