Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Davis

Davis is the transferred use of a patronymic English surname from the given name David (by way of the pet form Davy). David comes from the Hebrew "Dodaveha" meaning ‘beloved of Jehovah’. David was the second and arguably greatest king of Israel which led to the popularity of his name among Jews and then later by Christians throughout Europe in medieval times. St. David was a 6th century Abbot of Menevia in Wales noted for his extreme adherence to monastic piety. He and his monks engaged in heavy manual labor and intense religious study. Monasteries throughout Wales flourished under his spiritual leadership and example, and St. David became the patron saint of Wales. The surname first emerged as Dauisse in the 14th century which later developed in Davys and finally Davis. As a given name, Davis is considered masculine and used primarily in the United States.

All About the Baby Name – Davis

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME DAVIS

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME DAVIS

Davis has been on the American male naming charts as far back as the late 19th century when the U.S. government first began tracking naming trends. The name may have been used in the southern states first in homage to Jefferson Davis, the only President of the Confederacy. Since the 20th century, Davis is a name that has been used in relatively low moderation. The 1960s marked the lowest point in its usage but began to rebound by the 1980s as trends began to favor surnames for first names. Today the name is only used very lightly, although as a surname, it’s one of the most common in the United States (like Smith, Jones, Miller and Brown). So even if Davis as a given name is not hugely popular, the ubiquity of the surname in America makes this name very familiar to everyone. One notable name bearer in the United States is Davis Love III, a well-established golfer on the PGA Tour who hails from North Carolina. Davis might be considered a more modern option to the ever-popular boy’s name David.

Quick Facts

ON DAVIS

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

442

PRONUNCIATION:

DAY-vis

SIMPLE MEANING:

Son of David; Beloved

Characteristics

OF DAVIS

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Davis

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME DAVIS

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Davis

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME DAVIS

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Davis


Popular Songs

ON DAVIS

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Davis


Famous People

NAMED DAVIS

Davis Love III (golfer)
Davis Romero (baseball player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED DAVIS

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Davis

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME DAVIS

Miles Davis was an iconic genius of jazz music. A trumpeter and composer, Davis’s contributions to the genre pushed jazz music into new territory. Born into a middle-class family and raised in East St. Louis, Miles inherited his musical talent from his mother. He became influenced by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and would eventually drop out of Juliard to play in a jazz quintet with “The Bird” (Parker) in 1946. Keeping up with Parker and his breakneck tempos and chord substitutions proved a humbling and invaluable experience for the young musician. He would go onto join other musicians who were playing a more relaxed, less volatile style of jazz. In the early 1950s, Miles’ contribution and standard of play would wane due to his heroin addiction, but in a few short years, he would clean-up his act and go onto form his first quintet (which included another jazz great, John Coltrane). This group would produce widely popular and great jazz music. In the 1960s, Miles moved onto another quintet that included, among others, Herbie Hancock. At this point in his career, Davis and his group improvised and experimented with new sounds – open forms of free jazz – which dazzled critics and avid jazz fans alike. The 1970s was a time when rock-and-roll was replacing jazz, and so Miles and his group experimented with fusion between the two genres and are considered pioneers of jazz-rock. Miles Davis is a giant among jazz musicians; his brilliance and contributions still influence music today.