Davis
A very common patronymic surname meaning “son of David,” especially associated with Wales and the English-speaking world.
The #8 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 277 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Davis is a patronymic surname formed from the personal name David, with the ending -s meaning “son of” in medieval English naming practice. The underlying Hebrew name David is usually understood as “beloved.” In Welsh usage the surname also reflects the common patronymic pattern ap Dafydd, later simplified into Davis and Davies.
History
The name became especially common in Wales, where surnames were long formed from fathers’ given names and later fixed into hereditary surnames. English records show Davis as an established surname by the late medieval and early modern periods, and it spread widely in Britain and then North America. Davis and Davies are closely related forms, with the spelling often varying by region and family tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In English surname history, Davis and Davies are often treated as parallel spellings of the same basic family name, but Davies stayed more common in Wales while Davis became especially widespread in England and the United States.
From the historical record
“ness. DAVIS. DAVISS. See Davies and David. DAVISON. See David. DAWBEIl. The medieval name of a plasterer. Le Daubere. H.R. DAWE. DAWES. DAWS. See David. In some cases the derivation may be from the O.-Fr. aive, which Roquefort defines as”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Davis
- Bette Davis (1908–1989)
- Nancy Reagan (1921–2016)
- Miles Davis (1926–1991)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.