Dave
Dave is a given name, often a shortened form of the names David, Davey, or others. The name means "beloved".
Meaning & Origin of Dave
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dave is a given name, often a shortened form of the names David, Davey, or others. The name means "beloved".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Dave
Dave first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 131 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 3,308 Daves were born — ranking #119 that year. As of 2026, Dave ranks #2,082 for baby boys with 72 births, holding steady (-4%). In total, more than 64K Daves have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Dave
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Dave (American rapper) , aka David Jolicoeur (1968–2023), of the hip hop group De La Soul
- Dave (artist) (born 1969), Swiss artist, born David Pflugi
- Dave (rapper) (born 1998), English rapper, born David Omoregie
- Dave (singer) (born 1944), Dutch-born French singer, born Wouter Otto Levenbach
- Dave Adolph (1937–2017), American football coach
- Dave Allen (comedian) (1936–2005), Irish comedian
- Dave Atkins (disambiguation) , multiple people
- Dave Bailey (musician) (1926–2023), American jazz drummer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Dave
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dave is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave
What does the name Dave mean?
How popular is Dave in 2026?
When was Dave most popular?
In which U.S. states is Dave most popular?
Is Dave a unisex name?
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About the name Dave
Dave is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 64K births in the dataset. Dave's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #95. Use the chart and map above to compare Dave's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.