Dave

Dave - A very unique male name

Dave appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #170. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Dave and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Dave? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Dave. The baby boy name Dave was given to 24 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2266 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 61,095 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Dave peaked in popularity 67 years ago in 1959 on position 119.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Dave, 1-5?

Dave is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Dave is currently topping the baby name charts in Florida at position #1,021 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,659.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Dave is where you live.

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Dave origin and meaning

Hebrew, via David

Short form of David, from Hebrew Dawid, traditionally 'beloved'

Dave is the clipped form of David that served as a given name through the mid-20th century, peaking in 1959. Like Tom, it has fallen far from its peak, which gives it a retro, no-nonsense feel now.

Attested etymology

Dave is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Dave, pop culture references for the name Dave and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Dave

We've found the following names that sound similar to Dave, sorted by popularity.

Dov / Dev / Davi / Davey / Davie / Davy / Deep / Debbie / Duff / Dovi /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Dave

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Dave a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Dave?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

DAYV · /deɪv/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• David — The full name
• Davie — A diminutive variant

Famous bearers

• Dave Grohl — Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer (b. 1969) Contemporary
• Dave Chappelle — Stand-up comedian (b. 1973) Contemporary

Style

Nickname nameShort formClassic

Why parents choose it

Dave is deliberately ordinary — a friendly, mid-century name parents pick against elaborate modern coinages.

Worth knowing

• Many will expand it to David uninvited