Total births
3,676,654
Boys' name · since 1880
David
David has 3,676,654 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1955 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #31
- among boys today
- 3,676,654
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
David currently ranks #31 among boys' names in America, with 3,676,654 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, David has been recorded 3,676,654 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #31 nationally and more common than 99.8% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #31 among boys today
- 3,676,654 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
David is currently the #31 boys' name in America, more common than 99.8% of boys - 3,676,654 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #31
- among boys today
- 3,676,654
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
David vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#31
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named David was born in this single decade.
1955
Single peak year
86,306 babies were named David in 1955 - its busiest year on record.
How David compares
3,676,654 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
David's all-time total is 10,018x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | David | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,676,654 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 86,306 | 23 | 22,252 |
David's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide David's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 74% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 26%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1899, with only 646 births recorded -- set against the 1955 peak of 86,306, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
David at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1955
Current rank
#31
Active since
1880
David popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1955)
- 86,306
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
David popularity over time - girls
12,959 total births recorded since 1883 (David as girls' name)
David by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was David's strongest decade.
769,963 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
David births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 7,569
1880s
7,569 births
- 1890s 7,333
1890s
7,333 births
- 1900s 8,619
1900s
8,619 births
- 1910s 43,853
1910s
43,853 births
- 1920s 88,736
1920s
88,736 births
- 1930s 164,701
1930s
164,701 births
- 1940s
1940s
426,372 births
- 1950s
1950s
769,963 births
- 1960s
1960s
733,953 births
- 1970s
1970s
445,704 births
- 1980s
1980s
383,687 births
- 1990s 253,711
1990s
253,711 births
- 2000s 180,098
2000s
180,098 births
- 2010s 116,740
2010s
116,740 births
- 2020s 45,615
2020s
45,615 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 769,963 births (21% of all-time use).
How David compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to David's total volume
David vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
David by state
Where David concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 378,808 | 10.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 284,489 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 231,913 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 223,324 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 205,131 | 5.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 186,067 | 5.1% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 167,117 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 115,997 | 3.2% |
California share of David's total US births 10.3%
Even split
378,808 of 3,676,654 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
David appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name David? ▼
David has been given to 3,676,654 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #31 as of the latest data. 86,306 babies were born in 1955, its single highest year.
When was David most popular? ▼
David was most popular in the 1950s decade with 769,963 total births. The single peak year was 1955.
Where is David most popular? ▼
The top states for the name David are California (378,808 births), New York (284,489 births), Texas (231,913 births).
How long has the name David been used? ▼
David has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to David? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dave, Davis, Davon, Davion, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with David's data
- David's decade-level peak was the 1950s (769,963 total births); usage has since declined to 45,615 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Davids (378,808 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring David
Nearby Names Like David
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to David
Dave Boy
#2012 64,378 births
Davis Boy
#645 32,076 births
Davon Boy
#1568 13,396 births
Davion Boy
#1235 13,112 births
Davin Boy
#2802 10,636 births
Compare David side by side: David vs Dave David vs Davis David vs Davon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to David
Julian #30
264,985 births · Peak 2017
Joseph #32
2,669,490 births · Peak 1956
Santiago #29
103,828 births · Peak 2025
Matthew #33
1,654,075 births · Peak 1983
Dylan #28
418,679 births · Peak 2001
Luke #34
323,020 births · Peak 2014
Alexander #27
736,123 births · Peak 1993
Jackson #35
297,220 births · Peak 2013
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "David: #31 Boys' Name - 3,676,654 Births, Peak 1955." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/david. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for David draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.