DAW
The surname Daw is of English origin, originally a pet form of the personal name David which means “beloved” in Hebrew. In medieval records the name was often written as Dawe; over time the final –e was lost, giving rise to the modern spelling Daw.
In addition to the patronymic derivation, some bearers of the name may have inherited it from a topographic source. The Old English word daw described a hill or mound, and a person dwelling near such a feature could have been identified by that description. The same word also appears in Middle English as a reference to dawn or daybreak, and in this sense it could have served as a nickname for someone with fair or light‑coloured hair.
Another possible origin is a nickname derived from the jackdaw, a black‑and‑white bird of the crow family noted for its chatter and sly character. The bird’s presence in the English language meant that a person who reminded others of it might be called “Daw” in a familiar, affectionate manner.
In some contexts the name has been linked to an Irish Gaelic personal name, O′Deaghaidh, whose elements are uncertain but may relate to “good” or “lucky.” While the exact connection between this Gaelic name and the English surname Daw remains unclear, records indicate that it may have been anglicised to forms such as Goodwin in Ireland. A family crest associated with this lineage describes a silver field with a red pile, a chevron between three cross‑crosslets of the field, and a crest of an eagle looking upon the sun proper.
Early documentary evidence shows the surname in the early 13th century. The Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire record a Ralph Dawe in 1211, while in 1275 a Ralph Dawe of Worcester is mentioned in further entries. The Hundred Rolls of Oxford of 1279 list a Lovekin Dawes, the patronymic form of the name.
In later periods notable individuals bearing the surname include Sir William Dawes, who served as Archbishop of York in 1713, and Sophia Daw (also known as Dawes), who lived between 1790 and 1840 and was a prominent intriguer at the court of King Charles X of France.
The surname is most commonly found in the southwestern counties of England, especially Devon and Cornwall, and it also occurs in Wales. Migration has dispersed it to other English‑speaking countries, with concentrations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. In the United States the name is present in a number of African nations, a distribution that can be linked to historical connections with Arabic‑speaking populations where the name Daw is a variant of Dawud, the Arabic form of David.
Related surnames that may share a common root include Dawe, Daws, Dow, Dowe, Doh, and Do. Patronymic derivatives such as Dawkins and Dawson literally mean “son of Daw”, whereas the forms Daw, Dawes, and Dowe often represent distinct lineages that converge only in phonetic similarity.
Typical given names associated with the Daw surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- Michael
- Peter
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Anne
- Barbara
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Daw in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Daw are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Bourbon.
There are approximately 2,439 people named Daw in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,572nd most common surname in Britain. Around 37 in a million people in Britain are named Daw.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Daw
- Irene Daw - Sports shooter (1941 to 2010)
- Teddy Daw - Football player (1875 to 1)
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.