Davidson Surname

2,120th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 258,330 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Scotland

Davidson Surname Definition:

'son of David,' which see. The second form is from the diminutive Davie. Johannes filius Davidis was burgess of Perth in 1219 (Scon, p. 52), and Adam fiz Dauid of Forfarshire and Johan le fiz David of Berwickshire rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p.

Read More About This Surname

Davidson Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States140,9761:2,571261
England26,4101:2,110256
Canada22,8401:1,613148
Australia18,8451:1,433161
Scotland17,9121:29926
Madagascar5,0451:4,688965
South Africa3,8321:14,1381,785
Jamaica3,7251:770144
New Zealand3,5771:1,266130
Northern Ireland3,3771:54673
Nigeria2,4071:73,5955,282
Wales8421:3,675401
Israel5681:15,0662,252
Trinidad and Tobago4651:2,933506
Thailand4471:158,02825,234
Netherlands4261:39,6416,707
Ireland4221:11,1591,414
India4091:1,875,46565,718
Guyana3941:1,935346
France3761:176,65627,509
Indonesia3401:388,96833,123
Sweden3261:30,2052,461
Saudi Arabia3181:97,03114,320
Panama2521:15,5251,153
Germany2471:325,93332,466
Brazil2431:880,96431,711
Spain2231:209,65014,218
Liberia1881:23,4502,315
Malaysia1361:216,86912,591
Dominican Republic1311:79,6413,650
Papua New Guinea1311:62,2428,061
Swaziland1261:10,303513
Argentina1201:356,19527,792
Zimbabwe1141:135,42317,730
Belgium1071:107,44516,114
Tanzania1071:494,78133,101
Chile961:183,5055,943
Isle of Man961:894134
Switzerland931:88,3119,808
Venezuela901:335,6017,420
Mexico871:1,426,73815,813
Ghana821:329,52111,413
Philippines721:1,406,086101,646
Guernsey661:976172
Portugal661:157,8526,835
Norway611:84,30011,704
Bermuda581:1,126179
Colombia531:901,3988,853
Grenada511:2,128358
Guatemala461:349,6234,757
Jersey391:2,544430
Hong Kong361:203,7632,992
China341:40,215,3402,154
Italy331:1,853,23386,897
Poland301:1,266,95880,461
Ecuador291:548,47711,265
Gibraltar291:1,171268
Kuwait291:131,05814,967
Costa Rica281:170,7172,334
Honduras271:326,5352,797
Iraq261:1,346,98715,017
Kenya251:1,847,19636,049
Finland221:249,85019,707
Denmark201:282,23621,168
Solomon Islands201:29,0015,821
Cyprus181:49,1605,112
Nicaragua181:334,5053,129
Saint Lucia181:9,9321,037
Uganda181:2,168,84967,754
Japan171:7,520,25343,528
United States Virgin Islands161:6,8981,043
Monaco151:2,471143
United Arab Emirates151:610,81823,687
Pakistan141:12,760,27855,960
Austria131:655,03358,041
Singapore131:423,66918,211
South Korea131:3,941,558724
Oman121:307,3314,704
Czechia111:966,67976,885
Cayman Islands101:6,389805
Bahrain91:149,8455,469
Cameroon91:2,307,674112,590
Chad91:1,510,2445,402
Egypt91:10,215,08448,153
Moldova91:395,70828,721
Morocco91:3,830,67854,497
Sierra Leone91:787,737678
Estonia81:165,22626,217
Guam81:20,0153,029
Afghanistan61:5,358,86425,178
Antigua and Barbuda61:16,5281,436
Belize61:59,2462,743
Ivory Coast61:3,845,20548,272
Norfolk Island61:38264
Qatar61:393,00055,922
Bahamas51:78,350887
Barbados51:57,4901,721
Haiti51:2,136,78115,037
Malawi51:3,423,82224,042
Taiwan51:4,688,94927,695
Curaçao41:39,312638
El Salvador41:1,585,9724,802
Russia41:36,030,764577,589
Seychelles41:23,0981,012
Sri Lanka41:5,202,14012,146
Sudan41:9,377,5498,207
Togo41:1,811,9428,122
Vietnam41:23,161,5143,610
Algeria31:12,877,18484,902
Dominica31:25,297621
DR Congo31:24,626,523260,455
Iran31:25,594,175224,183
Luxembourg31:193,5147,046
Romania31:6,692,62378,504
Turks and Caicos Islands31:11,443596
Benin21:5,167,80184,334
Bolivia21:5,308,21712,400
Brunei21:209,3663,098
Cape Verde21:264,8215,214
Cuba21:5,761,35813,825
Ethiopia21:48,773,13129,601
Greece21:5,539,895129,142
Guinea21:5,916,9082,656
Lebanon21:2,818,54225,087
Mali21:8,484,5184,035
Marshall Islands21:25,9101,967
Peru21:15,892,06251,966
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha21:2,927156
Saint Kitts and Nevis21:27,6001,126
Turkey21:38,910,711171,901
Albania11:2,914,05529,474
American Samoa11:55,7583,072
Andorra11:83,8382,381
Aruba11:103,4772,586
Azerbaijan11:9,649,12247,873
Bangladesh11:159,356,77326,077
Bulgaria11:6,978,90586,260
Burkina Faso11:18,352,10030,051
Cambodia11:15,487,14614,824
Falkland Islands11:3,132317
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Iceland11:380,09011,096
Jordan11:8,842,43726,010
Kazakhstan11:17,682,496204,010
Kyrgyzstan11:5,972,65499,197
Laos11:6,588,3231,961
Lesotho11:2,032,55823,402
Lithuania11:3,034,58847,401
Malta11:430,2723,380
Mauritania11:4,094,86338,869
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Mongolia11:2,825,28917,010
Myanmar11:51,937,9852,166
Namibia11:2,409,40119,676
Puerto Rico11:3,550,1399,109
Rwanda11:11,364,9785,947
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines11:112,6591,704
São Tomé and Príncipe11:177,4233,686
Senegal11:14,579,34211,705
Serbia11:7,144,94838,459
Slovakia11:5,336,450140,422
Slovenia11:2,487,67531,128
Suriname11:552,6169,664
Syria11:19,301,02222,457
Vanuatu11:263,2762,086
Wallis and Futuna11:13,610185
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland2,1891:2,024382
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Scotland16,4851:22730
England8,6671:2,812398
Wales1381:11,365683
Isle of Man341:1,596208
Guernsey61:5,443949
Jersey41:12,9712,116
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States24,7821:2,026211

Davidson (46,813) may also be a first name.

Davidson Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

'son of David,' which see. The second form is from the diminutive Davie. Johannes filius Davidis was burgess of Perth in 1219 (Scon, p. 52), and Adam fiz Dauid of Forfarshire and Johan le fiz David of Berwickshire rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p. 206,208). The seal of the former bears a long-legged bird and S' Ade filii Davit (ibid., p. 555). William filius Davidi was provost of Aberdeen in 1340 (ER., I, p. 456), and Adam Davyson, merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, had a safe conduct into England in 1360. Robert Davidson or Robert filius David, elected provost of Aberdeen in 1408, was killed at the battle of Harlaw in 1411, John Davison who held a land in Irvine in 1426 (Irvine, I, p. 130) may be the John Davidson, bailie of Arne, in 1430 (Ayr, p. 85). A distribution of cloth of divers colors was made to Walter Davisoun and his men by command of the king in 1429 (ER., IV, p. 510), Who or what this Walter Davisoun was there is nothing in the record to show. Fynlay Dauison leased Petklochery in 1453 (Cupar-Angus, I, p. 129), John Davysone was witness in Linlithgow in 1472 (Sc. Ant., XVII, p. 120), George Davidsone, witness in Peebles 1473 (Peebles, 24), and David Davyson, a native of Dundy (Dundee), had letters of denisation in England in 1484 (Bain, IV, 1498). Colyn Davidsone witnessed a charter by James Scrimgeour, Constable of Dundee, in 1492 (HP., II, p. 194), Thomas Dauyson was elected bailie of Aberdeen, 1509 (Guildry, p. 193), Duncan Dawysoun was a resident in Stirling in 1566 (Saltre, p. 128), and Jok Dauisone was tenant under the Abbey of Kelso in 1567 (Kelso, p. 520). The Davidsons of Roxburghshire seem to have formed a small clan in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The chief family seated at Samieston became extinct in 1670 (Stodart). Thomas Davidson (b. 1840), born in Deer, Aberdeenshire, devoted his life to the study of the language, literature, and philsuphy of Greece and Italy. In common Gaelic speech this name appears as Deibhiosdan. The Davidsons are known as Clann Daidh. Daueson 1550, Dauesoun 1547, Dauiesone 1620, Dauisoun 1513, Dauysone 1490, Daveson 1591, Daviesoune 1653, Davitson 1552, Dawysone 1567.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(Hebrew + English) David’s Son: v. David.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(Scottish, Welsh) The Son of David (beloved).

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

The son of David, which signifies beloved.

The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

User-submitted Reference

(Scottish + Hebrew) The son of David; with David coming from the Hebrew name Dāwîd or Dôwd meaning beloved or beloved uncle.

- dinn315

Davidson Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Davidson Come From? nationality or country of origin

Davidson (Hindi: डेविडसन, Marathi: दवीडसन, Oriya: େଡଭିଡସନ) is borne by more people in The United States than any other country or territory. It can also occur as:. Click here to see other possible spellings of this surname.

How Common Is The Last Name Davidson? popularity and diffusion

The last name Davidson is the 2,120th most common surname on a global scale, held by approximately 1 in 28,210 people. It is primarily found in The Americas, where 62 percent of Davidson reside; 60 percent reside in North America and 59 percent reside in Anglo-North America. It is also the 19,549th most frequently held first name on earth It is held by 46,813 people.

The surname Davidson is most numerous in The United States, where it is borne by 140,976 people, or 1 in 2,571. In The United States Davidson is primarily concentrated in: Texas, where 9 percent reside, California, where 9 percent reside and Florida, where 5 percent reside. Other than The United States it is found in 167 countries. It is also common in England, where 10 percent reside and Canada, where 9 percent reside.

Davidson Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The occurrence of Davidson has changed over time. In The United States the share of the population with the surname increased 569 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it increased 305 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it increased 109 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it increased 610 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it declined 81 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Davidson Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those bearing the Davidson last name is chiefly Presbyterian (54%) in Ireland, Orthodox (74%) in Russia, Melkite Greek Catholic (50%) in Lebanon and Orthodox (80%) in Ukraine.

In The United States those holding the Davidson last name are 12.77% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 59.54% being registered with the political party.

The amount Davidson earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 17.67% more than the national average, earning 407,226 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 51.55% more than the national average, earning R 360,132 per year; in Colombia they earn 33.56% less than the national average, earning $15,083,900 COP per year; in United States they earn 1.18% more than the national average, earning $43,660 USD per year and in Canada they earn 3.25% more than the national average, earning $51,299 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Davidson Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Davidson in the Hindi language
डेविडसनdevidasana66.67
डविडसनdavidasana33.33
Davidson in the Oriya language
େଡଭିଡସନedabhidasana50
େଡଭିଡ୍ସନ୍edabhidsan50
Davidson in the Marathi language
दवीडसनdavidasana50
देवीदासdevidasa50

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Davidson Reference & Research

Davidson FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Davidson
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis