David History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

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The David name, which is a very unique Celtic origin, came from the rugged landscape of Wales. This Brythonic Celtic name is from the personal name David, which means darling or friend. This name was common in England and Scotland from the 12th century onward, but was particularly popular in Wales even earlier.

One of the most famous bearers of this personal name in Wales was David ap Gryffydd, the last Prince of North Wales, who was executed c. 1276 by King Edward I of England.

Early Origins of the David family

The surname David was first found in Cheshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. The name is conjecturally descended from David ap Gryffydd, the last Prince of North Wales who was executed by King Edward I of England about 1276.

"St. David, is said to have been a Welsh Briton, born about the year 480, and bred up in the Christian religion. Coming to years of maturity, he became learned in all the liberal arts and sciences, and was finally constituted bishop of Menevia near Anglesea. From this place he went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and after his return was the reputed metropolitan of all the British churches." 1

David ap Gwilym (14th cent.), the celebrated Welsh bard, was born, according to one tradition, at Bro Gynin in the parish of Llanbadarn Vawr, Cardiganshire, about 1340, and dying there about 1400, was buried in the abbey of Ystrad Flur in the same county. 2

Early History of the David family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our David research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1647, 1680 and 1690 are included under the topic Early David History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

David Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name David have included David, Dafydd, Dewi, Davith and others.

Early Notables of the David family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

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. 3 However, in Canada, the name David is ranked the 436th most popular surname with an estimated 10,811 people with that name. 4 And in Quebec, Canada, the name David is the 383rd popular surname. 5 France ranks David as 16th with 61,762 people. 6 Australia ranks David as 549th with 7,035 people. 7 New Zealand ranks David as 770th with 948 people. 8

Migration of the David family to Ireland

Some of the David family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


David migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name David:

David Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
David Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
David Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

David Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
David Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
David Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

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

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

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. 20
David Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name David (post 1700) +


The David Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pax et copia
Motto Translation: Peace and plenty.
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