Davey’s, Davy’s, or Davie’s (Son): v. Davey, &c.

The surname Davis (or Davies) stems from the first name David, usually by way of the nickname Davy which was also the French popular form, much in use after the Norman Conquest. Davis means ‘son of Davy’ or, more formally, ‘son of David’.

The first name David is found in the Bible and is of Hebrew origin. The original meaning of the name was ‘darling’, often used in lullabies or as a term of endearment to a child. Later, the word came to be used to mean ‘friend’.

The popularity of the name David stems from Biblical times, largely as a result of the exploits of King David. Its popularity in the British Isles has been reinforced by the fact that the patron saint of Wales is St David, and two Scottish kings (in the eleventh and thirteenth centuries) bore the name. The Welsh patron saint was Archbishop of Menevia in the sixth century. His popularity accounts for the frequency of David as a Welsh first name, with its attendant nicknames Dai and Taffy. The latter is the colloquial name for a Welshman, used only by outsiders and generally with slightly derogatory connotations-as in the case of Paddy, or Limey, or Yank.

It is thus no surprise to find that the derivative surname Davies is common in Wales. (Traditionally, Davies is the Welsh version, Davis the English.) The name is found most frequently in South Wales, as well as among the farming communities. A recent survey showed that one in twenty Welsh farming families was named Davies.

Though Davies is the most popular form of ‘David’s son’, there are other variations. The most obvious, Davidson, while widespread, is found most frequently in Scotland and the border counties. Other variations include Davison and Davidge. Related names include Davey, Davy and Davitt (usually found in Ireland). These last, strictly speaking, are variations on the original David, also a popular surname in South Wales.

Daw, Daws and Dawson are all medieval short forms of the name Davy which it is thought was then pronounced as though spelled Dawy; while Dawkins is an affectionate pet name for the first name David.

The first name David and the surname Davies (and related names) have been widespread in England from the twelfth century, and in Scotland and Wales since even earlier times. There are references to the first name David and the surname Davy in twelfth-century records, but the first more recognisable references are to Richard Davi of Suffolk and William Davy of Oxford, both in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.

Davis’s have the rare distinction of having a number of ingenious devices named in their honour: a double quadrant, Davis’ Quadrant, invented by John Davis (Davys) (1550— 1605); the Davy lamp, the first safe lamp for miners because it used gauze to separate the flame from potentially explosive gases, invented by Sir Humphry Davy (1778—1829); and the Davis Escape Apparatus, which lets submariners do just that, invented by Sir Robert Henry Davis (1870—1965).

The Davis Cup is the International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy and is competed for annually by all tennis-playing countries (rather than by individuals). It was donated in 1900 by Dwight Davis (1879—1945) who won the US doubles championship three years running-in 1899, 1900 and 1901.

There are no Davis-derived towns or cities in the United Kingdom and few elsewhere in the world. Canada has one town called Davis, so do 5 American states. There is a Davis Sea in the Antarctic and a Davis Island in Burma.

With about 343,000 namesakes Davies is the 6th most popular surname in England and Wales, while Davis accounts for another 117,000-in combination making this name the 3rd most popular in the area. (Neither variation is common enough throughout Scotland to be counted separately.) Davies is notably popular in and around Cardiff where an estimated one in about 30 families bears the name. In descending numerical order Liverpool, Birmingham and Coventry are other Davies strongholds, while Davis is more prevalent in Bristol (one in 252 families). Around the world Davies’s and Davis’s are most common in Wellington (one in 220 families), Sydney (one in 283) and Canberra (one in 295). In the United States there are an estimated 1,100,000 Davis’s and 39,000 Davies’s, in combination making this the country’s 7th most popular surname.