DAVEY
The surname Davey is of both Hebrew and Welsh origin, deriving ultimately from the biblical name David. The name David itself comes from the Hebrew personal name Dawid, which means beloved or friend. In Welsh the form of the name is Dafydd; the surname Davey therefore functions as a patronymic, signifying son of David or descendant of David.
From an early medieval perspective, the name Davey is a diminutive form of the personal name David, a name that had become popular among Christian communities in Europe largely because of the fame of the biblical King David. In Britain the name’s popularity was further increased by its status as the name of the patron saint of Wales, a sixth‑century monk and bishop, and by its association with two Scottish monarchs: David I, who reigned from 1124 to 1153, and David II, who reigned from 1329 to 1371.
In Scotland the diminutive form typically adopted is Davie or Davy, whereas in England the variant Davey is more common, a pattern that reflects the influence of the French foreshadowed by the Norman Conquest in 1066. The earliest recorded instance of the surname appears in London, where a marriage record dated 24 May 1582 documents the union of Thomas Davey and Rose Evans at St. Gregory by St. Paul. The first definitively recorded spelling of the family name is attributed to Walter Davey in the year 1198, within the Records of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, a document produced during the reign of King Richard I, known as “Richard the Lionheart,” who ruled from 1189 to 1199.
Geographically, the surname Davey is situated within the British Isles, specifically within England. The predominant language used for the name is English, and the historical context places the surname within a Christian milieu. The surname is understood to have arisen from a given name or forename, in line with conventional patronymic practices of the period.
Typical given names associated with the Davey surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Alison
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Dafe
- Daffey
- Daffy
- Daive
- Daives
- Daivies
- Daivis
- Dav
- Davay
- Dave
- Daves
- Daveys
- Davi
- Davia
- Davice
- David
- Davide
- Davie
- Davied
- Davies
- Daviey
- Davige
- Daviies
- Davine
- Davis
- Davise
- Davy
- Davye
- Davyes
- Davys
- Deave
- Deaves
- Deavey
- Deavies
- Deavy
- Deevey
- Deevoy
- Deevy
- Defay
- Defaye
- Deffey
- Defoy
- Dephy
- Devay
- Devayya
- Deve
- Devey
- Devi
- Devie
- Devies
- Devoy
- Devvy
- Devy
- Devyea
- Devys
- Diffey
- Diffy
- Divey
- Divya
- Doffey
- Doovey
- Dovey
- Dovy
- Dufay
- Dufaye
- Dufey
- Duffay
- Duffey
- Duffiey
- Duffy
- Dufoy
- Dufy
- Duvey
- Taffey
- Tafoya
- Tavey
- Teaffey
- Teefey
- Teefy
- Tevey
- Tivey
- Tivy
- Toovey
- Toovy
- Tovey
- Tovy
- Tuffey
- Tuffy
- Tuvey
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Davey in...
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Morse
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Davey are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Fig Roll.
There are approximately 23,117 people named Davey in the UK. That makes it the 368th most common surname in Britain. Around 355 in a million people in Britain are named Davey.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Davey
- Daniel Lloyd Davey - Heavy metal vocalist
- Ed Davey - Politician
- Mark Wing-Davey - Actor, Director
- Alan Davey - Musician
- Damian Davey - Actor and singer (1964 to 2017)
- Simon Davey - Welsh football player and manager
- Alan Davey - Civil servant
- Alex Davey - Football player
- Grenville Davey - Artist
- Robin Davey - Musician
- Jack Davey - Cricketer
- Steve Davey - Football player
- Basil Davey - Army general (1897 to 1959)
- Gerry Davey - Ice hockey player (1914 to 1977)
- Philip Davey - Cricketer (1913 to 2000)
- Perin Davey - Australian politician
- John Davey - American tree surgeon (1846 to 1923)
- John Richard Davey - Cricketer
- Richard Davey - Author and journalist (1848 to 1911)
- Alfred Davey - Member of the Queensland Legislative Council (1856 to 1941)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.