Davey
A surname usually from the given name David, with Davey preserving an old familiar form of that name.
The #3,918 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 34,037 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Davey is generally understood as a patronymic surname built from the personal name David, usually through an affectionate or familiar form such as Dave or Davy. The underlying biblical name David comes from Hebrew, meaning “beloved.” In English usage, Davey developed alongside other David-based surnames such as Davis, Davies, and Davison.
History
The historical sources group Davey with a wider family of surnames derived from David, and one 19th-century writer notes that it should be understood as coming from a nursery or familiar form of a Christian name. The name appears in English records and later in Ireland, where it is also found in some families of native or imported origin. Its spelling has long varied with forms like Davy and Davie.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Davey is one of several surname forms that grew from the same biblical root as the common forename David, which helped make it especially widespread.
From the historical record
“Owen VaeZian. co. Salop, ibid. _ Davey Watkynge Vaghan : Viut. 'iter. E^an^r^n,' CO. Salop: Reg, , -Local,”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances