Show ContentsDavid History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Italian name David was first found in the region of Venice. As a surname, David was a patronymic name, created from the personal name David. In honor of the biblical king of this name, version of this name can be found throughout Christian Europe.

Early Origins of the David family

The surname David was first found in the city of Venice and can be traced back to the 14th century, with Antonio David, an ecclesiastic at the time.

Early History of the David family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our David research. The years 1513, 1684, 1750, 1775, 1785, 1790 and 1791 are included under the topic Early David History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

David Spelling Variations

Enormous variation in spelling and form characterizes those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. This is caused by two main factors: regional tradition, and inaccuracies in the recording process. Before the last few hundred years, scribes spelled names according to their sounds. Spelling variations were the unsurprising result. The variations of David include Davide, David, Davidi, Davidde, Davidico, Dàvid, Davìd, Davit and many more.

Early Notables of the David family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Lorenzo Davidico, born in Pavia in 1513, who was an expert in the Greek and Latin languages; members of the David family were counts of Serravalle, a town near Turin. Ludovico Antonio David was a famo...
  • Giacomo Davide was a "very great Italian tenor, better known as 'David le pere,' born at Presezzo, near Bergamo, in 1750. Possessing a naturally beautiful voice, he made the best use of it by long and...

David World Ranking

In the United States, the name David is the 873rd most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name David is ranked the 436th most popular surname with an estimated 10,811 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name David is the 383rd popular surname. 3 France ranks David as 16th with 61,762 people. 4 Australia ranks David as 549th with 7,035 people. 5 New Zealand ranks David as 770th with 948 people. 6


United States David migration to the United States +

Immigrants bearing the name David or a variant listed above include:

David Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Roger David, who landed in Virginia in 1622 7
  • Mr. George David, (b. 1613), aged 22, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Constance" arriving in Virginia in 1635 8
  • John David, who settled in Virginia in 1635
  • Jon David, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 7
  • Howell David, who landed in Virginia in 1637 aboard the ship "Tristram and Jane" 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
David Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Richard David, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1701 7
  • James David, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1701 7
  • Henry David, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 7
  • Jennet David, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1701 7
  • Elizabeth David, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
David Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas David, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1802 7
  • Jacob David, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1802 7
  • Peter Oliver David, who arrived in New York in 1806 7
  • John David, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1812 7
  • George David, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada David migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

David Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Frs David, who landed in Canada in 1632-1760
  • Mr. René David, (b. 1910), aged 32, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 7th April 1642 9
  • Claude David was married in 1649 in Quebec
  • Michel David, son of Claude and Suzanne, who married Françoise Raclos, daughter of Idebon and Marie, in Quebec on 2nd December 1671 10
  • Mr. René David, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 13th March 1679 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
David Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Jean David, son of Michel and Françoise, who married Marie-Anne Deshaies-Saint-Cyr, daughter of Pierre and Marguerite, in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade on 15th November 1713 10
  • Jacques David, son of Paul and Marie, who married Marie-Louise Normandin, daughter of Laurent and Marie-Anne, in Quebec on 17th September 1715 10
  • Jacques David, son of Jacques and Catherine, who married Madeleine Dagenais, daughter of Pierre and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 22nd June 1716 10
  • Joseph David, son of Jacques and Catherine, who married Marie Moneau, daughter of Michel-Jean and Marie, in Boucherville, Quebec on 7th January 1717 10
  • René David, son of Michel and Françoise, who married Marie-Josephte Quay, daughter of Louis and Marthe, in Verchères, Quebec on 24th January 1719 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
David Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Heinrich David, who landed in Canada in 1800

Australia David migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

David Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Jeremiah David, British convict who was convicted in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, the settlement was listed as abandoned and most of the convicts transported to Tasmania on the "Queen" in 1804 11
  • Miss Martha Daniel David, Welsh convict who was convicted in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales for life for larceny, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1852 12
  • Griffith David, Welsh convict from Glamorgan, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. David Harley, (b. 1809), aged 18, British convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 14 years for breaking and entering, transported aboard the "Asia IV" on 25th July 1827, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
  • Mr. John David, (b. 1804), aged 26, Welsh ploughman who was convicted in Glamorganshire, Wales for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand David migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

David Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • M. David, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of the Deep" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1854 16
  • Mr. George David, (b. 1832), aged 30, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 17
  • Mrs. Matilda David, (b. 1832), aged 30, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 17
  • Samuel N. David, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ernestina" in 1865
  • Mr. Constant V David, (b. 1854), aged 20, French farm labourer from France travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 16

West Indies David migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18
David Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Lewes David, aged 28, who landed in Barbados in 1635 7
  • Mr. Lewes David, (b. 1607), aged 28, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 19

Contemporary Notables of the name David (post 1700) +

  • Catherine David (1949-2023), born Catherine Gradwohl, a Franco-American novelist, essayist and literary critic
  • Kal David (1943-2022), stage name of David Raskin, an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois
  • Harold Lane "Hal" David (1921-2012), American lyricist, probably best known for his hits "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", "This Guy's in Love with You" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
  • Lieutenant Albert Leroy David (1902-1945), American Naval Officer who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944 20
  • John Fisher of David, American politician, Postmaster at Westminster, Maryland, 1817-20 21
  • Roderick David, English singer
  • Alain David (1932-2022), French gold medalist sprinter at the 1956 Summer Olympics
  • Lukas Florian David (1934-2021), Austrian classical violinist
  • Mr. Edward David, Welsh coal miner working in Tynewydd coal mine in Wales on 11th April 1877, he was awarded the Albert Medal for lifesaving
  • Elizabeth David (1913-1992), née Gwynne, a British cookery writer, actress, known for her A Book of Mediterranean Food (1950), Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen (1970), English Bread and Yeast Cookery (1977) and for her many articles in The Sunday Times
  • ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Flight 191
  • E David (d. 1979), American passenger from San Francisco, California, USA, who flew aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 22
Halifax Explosion
  • Mr. Albert  David (1856-1917), Canadian resident from Tufts Cove, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 23
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. George David, British Stoker 2nd Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 24
  • Mr. Edward ErneSt David, British Telegraphist, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 24


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  4. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  9. Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
  10. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  13. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia-1v
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  19. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  20. Albert David. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Albert David. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_David
  21. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  22. Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area
  23. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  24. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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