Gifts for Daves: 25 ideas for the Dave in your life

Buying for a Dave is harder than it looks. The name is so common that the obvious ideas have been done to them several times: the mug, the keyring, the joke card that says "Dave" on it. The good news is that the name David comes with a lot of history attached, and almost all of it can be turned into a present. Here are 25 ideas, sorted by the kind of Dave you're buying for. Short on time? Skip to the end for our Christmas gift membership, which arrives in their inbox on Christmas morning.

Gifts for any Dave

These work whether your Dave is 9 or 90.

1. A box of "HELLO my name is" badges, already filled in. Write "Dave" on every single one. It's a lifetime supply, and it saves them the effort at every conference they'll ever attend.
2. A personalised mug. Yes, the mug. Make it better by printing "Dave" with a footnote: "from the Hebrew Dawid, meaning beloved". It's the same mug, but now it's educational.
3. A framed print of what their name means. A clean typographic print with the name, its Hebrew origin and its meaning looks good on a wall and costs very little to make. Our explainer on what the name Dave means has the wording you need.
4. A desk sign that settles the office question. Either "Dave (the original)" or, for the newer arrival, "Other Dave". Article 5 of the Society's bylaws explains the rules.
5. A monogrammed D. Wallets, leather notebooks, cufflinks and tote bags with a single "D" are easy to find and quietly classy. And a single letter can't be misspelt.

Gifts for the music Dave

A remarkable number of great musicians are called Dave (see our full list of famous Daves), which makes this the easiest section of the guide.

6. A David Bowie record on vinyl. Hunky Dory (1971) and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) are the classic starting points.
7. The first Foo Fighters album. Dave Grohl recorded it in about a week in 1994, singing and playing almost every instrument himself. A one-Dave band deserves a place in any Dave's collection.
8. Dave Brubeck's Time Out. The 1959 jazz album with "Take Five" on it. It's one of the best-selling jazz records ever made, and it's ideal for a Dave who likes things calm.
9. Talking Heads or Pink Floyd. Each has a David in a key role: David Byrne fronted Talking Heads, and David Gilmour played guitar and sang in Pink Floyd.
10. Gig tickets to any band with a Dave in it. There's always one. Check the line-up.

Gifts for the nature Dave

11. A David Attenborough box set. Planet Earth, Blue Planet or Life on Earth. He started presenting Zoo Quest in 1954, so there's no shortage of material.
12. Binoculars and a bird book. Then they can narrate their own garden, in a hushed voice.
13. A bird feeder. This is the budget version of the above.

Gifts for the culture Dave

14. A replica of Michelangelo's David. Small busts and full-figure replicas are widely available. The original is 5.17 metres tall, so we recommend the smaller version.
15. A David magnetic dress-up set. A magnetic Michelangelo's David with a wardrobe of clothes for the fridge. It's silly, and it has been a museum-shop staple for years.
16. A trip to Florence. The statue lives in the Galleria dell'Accademia. Book tickets in advance, because everyone wants to meet this Dave.
17. A David Hockney print or book. Hockney is one of Britain's best-known living painters, and his swimming pool paintings make cheerful prints.

Gifts for the Welsh (or Welsh-curious) Dave

Saint David is the patron saint of Wales, which gives every Dave a reason to celebrate on 1 March. Our guide to St David's Day has the full story.

18. Daffodil bulbs. The daffodil is a symbol of Wales and of St David's Day. Plant the bulbs in autumn and they'll flower around 1 March, so the gift arrives on time.
19. Welsh cakes. These griddle-cooked cakes are eaten all year, and especially on St David's Day. Bake some, or buy a tin.
20. A weekend in St Davids, Pembrokeshire. It's the UK's smallest city, home to St Davids Cathedral, and almost certainly the most on-brand short break a Dave can take.

Gifts for the sporty Dave

21. A custom football shirt with "DAVE" and their favourite number on the back. For bonus points, make it number 7 in honour of David Beckham.
22. A free-kick practice net. To bend it like Beckham, they'll need somewhere to practise.

Gifts for the Dave who has everything

23. A star, a brick or a bench named "Dave". Many charities and parks offer a memorial or sponsorship plaque. A bench that just says "Dave" will confuse passers-by for decades.
24. A copy of the film Dave (1993). Kevin Kline plays an ordinary man who is asked to stand in for the US President, because he looks exactly like him. It's a feel-good film about the hidden potential of every Dave.
25. A Society of Daves gift membership. Six months for $6 or a year for $12, paid once. We email it to them on Christmas morning with your message, then they get The Dave Dispatch, a monthly newsletter about their own name. Nothing renews, and they never need to cancel. Give a gift membership.

Dave gifts by budget

Budget	Ideas
Under $10	Name badges, daffodil bulbs, a printed "Other Dave" desk sign, a bird feeder, a 6-month Society gift membership ($6)
$10 to $50	Personalised mug, framed name print, a vinyl record, a documentary box set, a magnetic David
$50 and up	A replica statue, gig tickets, a custom football shirt, a trip to Florence or Pembrokeshire

When to give a Dave a present

Birthdays and the holidays, obviously. But a Dave also has a bonus date most people forget: St David's Day, 1 March (here's what it is). A small gift on 1 March, such as daffodils or Welsh cakes, shows you know something about their name that they might not know themselves. A Society gift membership can be scheduled for that date too.