David History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Italy
Israel
Wales
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of David

What does the name David mean?

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 ap Gryffydd, Prince of North Wales
Edward David or Dafydd (d. 1690), of Margam in Glamorganshire, was a Welsh poet of the seventeenth century

David World Ranking

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

Roger David, who landed in Virginia in 1622 9
Mr. George David, (b. 1613), aged 22, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Constance" arriving in Virginia in 1635 10
John David, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Jon David, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 9
Howell David, who landed in Virginia in 1637 aboard the ship "Tristram and Jane" 9
... (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 9
James David, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1701 9
Henry David, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 9
Jennet David, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1701 9
Elizabeth David, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 9
... (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 9
Jacob David, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1802 9
Peter Oliver David, who arrived in New York in 1806 9
John David, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1812 9
George David, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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 11
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 12
Mr. René David, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 13th March 1679 11
... (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 12
Jacques David, son of Paul and Marie, who married Marie-Louise Normandin, daughter of Laurent and Marie-Anne, in Quebec on 17th September 1715 12
Jacques David, son of Jacques and Catherine, who married Madeleine Dagenais, daughter of Pierre and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 22nd June 1716 12
Joseph David, son of Jacques and Catherine, who married Marie Moneau, daughter of Michel-Jean and Marie, in Boucherville, Quebec on 7th January 1717 12
René David, son of Michel and Françoise, who married Marie-Josephte Quay, daughter of Louis and Marthe, in Verchères, Quebec on 24th January 1719 12
... (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

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 13
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 14
Griffith David, Welsh convict from Glamorgan, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
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) 16
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 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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 18
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 19
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 19
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 18

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

Lewes David, aged 28, who landed in Barbados in 1635 9
Mr. Lewes David, (b. 1607), aged 28, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 21

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 22
John Fisher of David, American politician, Postmaster at Westminster, Maryland, 1817-20 23
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
Filip David (1940-2025), Serbian writer and screenwriter, best known for penning essays, dramas, short stories and novels
Nicole Cowgill Jaffe David (b. 1941), née Jaffe, Canadian retired talent agent, businesswoman, and former actress
Martine Yvette David (1952-2025), French politician, Deputy of the French National Assembly for Rhône's 13th constituency (1988-2007)
Roderick David, English singer
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the David family +

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 24

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Albert David (1856-1917), Canadian resident from Tufts Cove, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 25

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 26
Mr. Edward ErneSt David, British Telegraphist, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 26

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.

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"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
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia-1v
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Albert David. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Albert David. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_David
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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
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
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html