DAVIE
Origins and etymology
The surname Davie is of Scottish origin and derives from the Gaelic language. It is a patronymic name that originally identified the descendants of an individual named David, a given name taken from the Hebrew word meaning “beloved” or “friend”. The name is therefore equivalent to “son of David”. The patronymic form is common throughout the British Isles, where it is recorded in Scotland, Wales and England.
Early attestations
There are no references to the surname Davie in Britain before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name appears in the 12th century, when soldiers returning from the Crusades adopted biblical names such as David for their children. The earliest surviving record in the country is a cleric named Dauid clericus in the rolls of Lincoln for the year 1150. In 1275 the Subsidy rolls of Worcester contain an entry for Richard Davy. Subsequent medieval documents record the name in various spellings: Thomas Dayson in the 1327 Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, Richard Davys in the 1402 Register of the Freemen of York, and John Dauisse in the 1327 Subsidy rolls of Cambridgeshire.
Variants and spelling
Over the centuries the surname has been recorded in a number of forms, including Davis, Davies, Davy and Davey. In Scotland it is also written as Davy and, in Gaelic, it has been anglicised to MacDhai, MacDavid or McDade. In Wales the name is the anglicised form of Dwywe (the Welsh spelling of David) or Ap Dafydd. In England the surname may also appear as Daw or Daig in very early records, but the most common modern forms are those listed above.
Geographic distribution
The name remains most common in the United Kingdom. In Scotland the surname is ranked as the 81st most frequent, with an estimated 9,400 individuals bearing it. The name is also the 499th most common in the entire United Kingdom, and it appears as the 2,013th surname overall. 10,761 people in the United States were recorded with the surname in the 2018 Census, placing it at 1,982nd in popularity; the name is most frequent in the states of Florida, Illinois and Texas. Smaller numbers appear in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, where the surname is comparatively uncommon.
Historical significance
Throughout its history the Davie family has been associated with notable events in Scotland. The family has been cited as playing a role in the formation of the Scottish Parliament and in the ratification of the Declaration of Arbroath. A prominent member of the name was Sir Thomas Davies (1631‑1680), a bookseller who became master of the Stationer’s Guild in 1668 and Lord Mayor of London in 1666 during the Great Fire of London.
Contemporary relevance
Today the Davie surname continues to be carried by a considerable number of individuals across the British Isles and beyond. Those who bear the name maintain the ancestral legacy of their fore‑bears through the pursuit of significant achievements, thereby preserving the historical significance attached to the surname.
Typical given names associated with the Davie surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Christopher
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- William
Female
- Alison
- Angela
- Anne
- Denise
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Janet
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Dafe
- Daff
- Daffe
- Daffey
- Daffu
- Dafis
- Dafoe
- Daive
- Daives
- Daivies
- Daivis
- Daivs
- Daphu
- Dav
- Dava
- Dave
- Daves
- Davey
- Daveys
- Davi
- Davia
- Davias
- Daviau
- Davice
- Davick
- David
- Davide
- Davidge
- Davids
- Davied
- Daviel
- Davies
- Daviey
- Davige
- Daviies
- Davin
- Davine
- Davins
- Davios
- Davis
- Davise
- Daviss
- Davit
- Davitt
- Davitte
- Davo
- Davou
- Davy
- Davye
- Davyes
- Davys
- Deaf
- Deave
- Deavey
- Deavies
- Deavis
- Deavy
- Deef
- Deeve
- Deevey
- Deevy
- Def
- Defeo
- Defeu
- Deff
- Deffee
- Deffoe
- Defoe
- Deif
- Dephu
- Dev
- Deva
- Devai
- Deve
- Deveau
- Devey
- Devi
- Devia
- Devie
- Devies
- Devis
- Devo
- Devoe
- Devvy
- Devy
- Diafi
- Dief
- Dif
- Diff
- Diffa
- Diffee
- Diffie
- Diouf
- Diva
- Dive
- Divi
- Doeff
- Doff
- Dohfi
- Doof
- Doove
- Dov
- Dovauo
- Dove
- Dovi
- Dovie
- Duf
- Dufau
- Duff
- Duffau
- Duffe
- Duffee
- Duffie
- Dufie
- Duva
- Duve
- Duviau
- Taafe
- Taaff
- Taaffe
- Tafa
- Tafe
- Taff
- Taffe
- Taffee
- Tafi
- Taif
- Taife
- Tauffe
- Tav
- Tava
- Tave
- Taveau
- Tavio
- Tavo
- Tefe
- Teff
- Tefo
- Teifi
- Tiff
- Tiffe
- Tiffou
- Toff
- Toffe
- Toffee
- Toffi
- Tofi
- Tov
- Tove
- Tovee
- Ttofi
- Tufa
- Tuff
- Tuffe
- Tuffee
- Tufo
- Tuifua
- Tyfe
- Tyffe
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Davie in...
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There are approximately 4,655 people named Davie in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,022nd most common surname in Britain. Around 71 in a million people in Britain are named Davie.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Davie
- William Richardson Davie - American Revolutionary War soldier, governor of North Carolina (1756 to 1820)
- Donald Davie - Poet (1922 to 1995)
- Alan Davie - Artist (1920 to 2014)
- Michael Davie - Journalist (1924 to 2005)
- John Davie - Officer (1921 to 2015)
- George Elder Davie - Philosopher (1912 to 2007)
- Jim Davie - Football player (1922 to 1984)
- Jock Davie - Scottish football player (1913 to 1994)
- Theodore Davie - Canadian politician (1852 to 1898)
- Alexander Edmund Batson Davie - Politician and lawyer (1847 to 1889)
- Harry Davie - Australian rules football player (1905 to 1968)
- Sandy Davie - Football player
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.