There are a lot of you. It's time you were organised.
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- Office reports second Dave. First Dave "not worried"
- 1960: David named America's most popular baby name. Michael demands a recount
- Michelangelo's David still 5.17 metres tall, experts confirm
- St David's Day still not a bank holiday. Society "looking into it"
- Local Dave answers to Dave, Davey, Big Dave and "Oi"
- Christmas gift memberships now available. Recipients advised to act surprised
- HAL 9000 still sorry, still can't do that
- Number of Daves born in the US passes 3.7 million. Nobody surprised
What does the name Dave mean?
Dave is short for David, a Hebrew name usually translated as "beloved". Here's everything else a Dave should know about being a Dave. All of it is true, which the Society finds more surprising than anyone.
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Where it comes from
David comes from the Hebrew Dawid (דָּוִד), usually linked to the word dod, meaning "beloved". Dave is the short form, although the Society regards it as the definitive edition. So, technically, your mum was right.
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The original Dave
King David of Israel, who in the Bible beats the giant Goliath with a sling and one stone. He went on to become a king, a musician and a poet, setting a standard most subsequent Daves have politely declined to meet. He's honoured in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, where he is the prophet Dawud, and that's why the name spread so far.
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The peak Dave year
In 1960, David was the most popular name for baby boys in the United States: 85,929 of them, according to Social Security records. It narrowly beat Michael, which won almost every other year of that era. If you went to school in the 60s, you already knew this.
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A day of your own
Saint David is the patron saint of Wales, and his feast day is 1 March. His most famous advice was "do the little things". It is not a public holiday. The Society is looking into it. More on St David's Day.
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The tallest Dave
Michelangelo carved his statue of David in Florence between 1501 and 1504, from a single block of marble. It is 5.17 metres tall, making it the tallest Dave on record, and also the least dressed.
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A TV channel
In 2007 a British TV channel renamed itself Dave, on the reasoning that everybody knows a bloke called Dave. The Society agrees with this reasoning completely. (Since 2024 it has been called U&Dave, which we're choosing not to take personally.)
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The nicknames
Davy and Davie are the older short forms (see Davy Crockett, born 1786). Dai is the Welsh one. Dave is the one on most name badges today, and some people have it as their full name.
A century of Daves
About 3.7 million boys named David have been born in the US since 1880. The name peaked in the 1950s, when nearly 4 in every 100 American baby boys were Davids. In 2024 it still ranked 31st. Hover over or tap a bar for the numbers.
See the numbers
| Decade | Davids born (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 44,000 |
| 1920s | 89,000 |
| 1930s | 165,000 |
| 1940s | 426,000 |
| 1950s | 770,000 |
| 1960s | 734,000 |
| 1970s | 446,000 |
| 1980s | 384,000 |
| 1990s | 254,000 |
| 2000s | 180,000 |
| 2010s | 117,000 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, summed by decade via Name Almanac, rounded to the nearest thousand.
Dave around the world
Wherever you go, there is a Dave. He just spells it differently. Every one of these is welcome under Article 1 of the bylaws.
- Dafydd
- Welsh. Saint David is Dewi Sant, and Dai is a common short form.
- Dàibhidh
- Scottish Gaelic
- Dáibhí
- Irish
- Davide
- Italian
- Davi
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Dawid
- Polish
- Dávid
- Hungarian
- Davíð
- Icelandic
- Taavetti
- Finnish
- Davit
- Georgian and Armenian. Georgia's King David IV, "the Builder", is a national hero.
- Dawud
- Arabic (داود). Also written Daoud.
- Dovid
- Yiddish
- Kawika
- Hawaiian. Possibly the most fun way to be a Dave.
Notable Daves
None of these Daves are members, and none of them have endorsed this website. We remain hopeful.
- David Bowie
- Born David Jones. He changed his surname because the Monkees already had a singer called Davy Jones. The rare case of a Dave with too many Daves around him.
- David Attenborough
- Has been explaining the natural world to the rest of us since presenting Zoo Quest in 1954. The most trusted voice any Dave has ever had.
- Dave Grohl
- Drummer in Nirvana, then founder of Foo Fighters, whose first album he recorded in about a week, playing almost every instrument himself. A one-Dave band.
- David Beckham
- His free kicks gave a 2002 film its title, Bend It Like Beckham. No other Dave has become a verb this successfully.
- David Tennant
- Born David McDonald. He changed his surname but kept the David, which the Society considers the correct priority.
- David Hockney
- One of Britain's most celebrated painters. Famous for swimming pools, which are mostly not called Dave.
- Larry David
- Not technically a Dave. Admitted as an observer under Article 4 of the bylaws, pending a full hearing.
- Your Dave
- The one in your office, your family or your five-a-side team. Statistically, you know at least one. Send them this page.
Daves in films, TV and music
Popular culture has been talking to Daves for decades. Not always kindly.
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"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."
HAL 9000 to astronaut Dave Bowman, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Still the most famous thing ever said to a Dave.
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"Dave's not here."
Cheech & Chong's 1971 comedy routine, in which someone called Dave can't get into his own home.
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Dave (1993)
Kevin Kline plays an ordinary man asked to stand in for the US President because he looks just like him. A documentary about the hidden potential of every Dave.
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Red Dwarf (1988)
Dave Lister wakes up three million years in the future as the last human alive. He's still a Dave.
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Psychodrama (2019)
The debut album by the British rapper Dave won the Mercury Prize. He goes by just "Dave", which takes confidence.
The bylaws
Adopted unanimously at the founding meeting, which was attended by several Daves and one man who thought it was a different meeting.
- Membership is open to all Daves, Davids, Davys, Daveys, Dais and Dafydds, wherever they may be, and in whatever language they spell it.
- A David who insists on being called David is still a Dave. The Society will respect their wishes in writing only.
- Anyone not called Dave may join as an Honorary Dave, and will be addressed as Dave in all correspondence.
- People with Dave or David as a surname may apply for observer status. See Larry David.
- When two members work in the same office, the one who arrived first keeps the name. The other becomes Other Dave.
- Dues are one dollar a month. The Society's treasurer is also called Dave.
- Members shall do the little things, as Saint David instructed, and shall not be made to explain which Dave they are more than once per meeting.
Give a Dave a year of being a Dave
Our Christmas gift membership: 6 or 12 months of The Dave Dispatch, emailed to them on Christmas morning with your message. One payment from $6. Nothing renews, and there's nothing for them to cancel.
Give a gift membershipBecome an official Dave
One dollar a month. That's less than a coffee, and it lasts much longer.
- The Dave Dispatch, monthlyA newsletter about the name Dave: its history, Daves in the news, notable Daves, and statistics nobody asked for.
- Keep the Society runningYour dollar pays for this website and for new Dave research.
- Honorary status for non-DavesNot called Dave? You're welcome anyway. You'll just be called Dave.
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$1a month
Billed monthly in US dollars. Cancel any time, and you won't be charged again.
Payment is handled by Stripe; we never see your card details. Card fees take about a third of each dollar, and the Society keeps the rest.
From the Dave Blog
Research, history and gift advice. See all posts.
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Gifts for Daves: 25 ideas for the Dave in your life
The best gifts for someone called Dave, sorted by type of Dave and by budget: music Daves, nature Daves, office Daves, Welsh Daves and the Dave who has everything.
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What does the name Dave mean? The origin of David, explained
Dave is short for David, a Hebrew name usually translated as "beloved". Here is where the name comes from, how it spread, and how Dave became the default nickname.
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How popular is the name David? A century of Daves in numbers
About 3.7 million boys named David have been born in the US since 1880. The name peaked in the 1950s, was number one in 1960, and ranked 31st in 2024.
Questions Daves ask
What does the name Dave mean?
Dave is short for David, which comes from the Hebrew name Dawid and is usually translated as "beloved". It comes from King David of Israel, who is honoured in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Is Dave short for David?
Yes. Dave is the most common short form of David. Older short forms include Davy, Davie and the Welsh Dai, and some people are given Dave as their full name.
How popular is the name David?
About 3.7 million boys named David have been born in the US since 1880. It was the number one boys' name in 1960, peaked in the 1950s, and ranked 31st in 2024.
When is St David's Day?
St David's Day is on 1 March. It celebrates Saint David, the patron saint of Wales. It is not a public holiday.
Is the Society of Daves a real society?
The membership, the newsletter and the payments are real. The pomp is not. This is a parody site run for fun, and it also tells you true things about your name.
Do I have to be called Dave to join?
No. Anyone can join as an Honorary Dave for $1 a month. We will call you Dave, though.
What do members receive?
A welcome email straight away, then The Dave Dispatch once a month, sent to the email address you pay with. Every issue has an unsubscribe link.
Can I give a membership as a gift?
Yes. A gift membership is 6 months for $6 or 12 months for $12, paid once. We email it to them on Christmas Day, straight away, or on a date you choose, along with your message. Nothing renews.
How do I cancel my membership?
Go to Manage membership at societyofdaves.com/api/manage and sign in with your email, or reply to any email we send you. Cancelling stops all future payments straight away.
Who handles my card details?
Stripe, one of the world's largest payment processors. Your card details go straight to Stripe and never touch our servers.
Are any famous Daves involved?
No. We aren't affiliated with any of the Daves mentioned on this site. We just admire them from a respectful, Dave-like distance.