Dave
Meaning
diminutive of David, beloved
The formal names behind Dave
Dave is an established short form of this name.
David · Hebrew origin · beloved
Dave around the world
One shared root links 7 names across 3 languages.
Shared root: from Hebrew Dawid "beloved", the shepherd king
The constellation
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Dave peaked in the 1940s and the 1960s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
475 people · the #13,891 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 500,000 · median age 10
Among people named Dave living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 70 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Dave
Most people given the name Dave in the United States were born between 1950 and 1979. The Dave you meet today is most often in his 50s or 60s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Dave deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Dave truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Dave fits with your family’s names and surname.
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