David

♀ Girl

Pronounced DAY-vid /ˈdeɪ.vɪd/High

Meaning: From the Hebrew David, 'beloved' — the biblical shepherd-king and one of the most enduring names in the world. Used here for a girl, though it is overwhelmingly a boy's name.Medium

In 30 seconds: A timeless Hebrew name: David means 'beloved' (said 'DAY-vid'). Strongly a boy's name — we note the lean.

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Origin HighHebrew

MeaningFrom the Hebrew David, 'beloved' — the biblical shepherd-king and one of the most enduring names in the world. Used here for a girl, though it is overwhelmingly a boy's name.

U.S. rank (2025)#12214 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1983

Total births (all-time)≈ 12,960

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

David comes from the Hebrew for 'beloved,' borne by the biblical king who slew Goliath. As a girl's name it is very rare; it is strongly a boy's name, which we note — the feminine forms Davida and Davina are more usual for girls (said 'DAY-vid').

For girls it appears only very rarely in the U.S., against overwhelming boys' use. Rare for girls, biblical, and timeless.

Did you know? David is Hebrew for 'beloved,' the name of the shepherd-king of the Bible and one of the most enduring names in the world — used here for a girl, though it is overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note (said 'DAY-vid').

Overall data confidence 50%

References — David — Hebrew 'beloved'; biblical king; strongly boy-leaning

Variations

DavidaDavinaDavita

Nicknames

DavaVida

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like David…

Davida— the feminine form of David

Davina— a like feminine of David

Davianna— a like Dav- girl's name

Dina— the same biblical feel

Devora— a fellow Hebrew choice

Explore names like David

By themehebrew biblical cross-sex unisex-lean-boy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name David mean?

David is Hebrew for 'beloved,' the name of the biblical shepherd-king.

How do you pronounce David?

It's said DAY-vid /ˈdeɪ.vɪd/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is David a boy or girl name?

David is overwhelmingly a boy's name — we note the strong lean; feminine forms include Davida and Davina.

How popular is David?

David is very rare for girls and very common for boys in the U.S.