The Davis family name is English and Welsh. It is also known to be Irish and Scottish. Learning about your family name can teach you a lot about your lineage, where your ancestors came from, what they experienced, and how you ended up where you are today. Let's take a look at the Davis family name, history, origin, meaning, interesting facts, and more.
Origin and Meaning
The Davis surname is believed to be of mostly English and Welsh descent. The English surname was used as a reference to King David in the Old Testament. The Welsh surname is believed to be a reference to Irish colonists who came and lived in Southwest Wales during the third century. No matter the lineage, Davis is believed to have derived from the Hebrew name David, which means son of God or beloved.
In England, Davis makes the top 50 most common names at 45th most common. In Wales, it is the 68th most common. It is the 311th most common name in the world and is currently the most popular in the United States. But, the highest density location of the Davis name is in Saint Martin, where one in every 74 people is a Davis.
Surname Variations
Davis is believed to be a patronymic surname, a name created from the given name of a father or an ancestor. For whatever reason necessary at the time, they would change prefixes or suffixes. Common surname variations of Davis are listed below:
- Davids
- Davies
- David
- Lavis
- Davi
- Danis
- Days
- Davie
- Dabbs
- Bavis
©Kittyfly/Shutterstock.com
Interesting Facts
In the late 1930s, Davis's ancestors living in England were most likely Laborers or unpaid domestic duty employees. Ancestors living in the United States in the 1940s were most likely laborers or maids. Another common occupation was truck driving.
Many Davis's were already living in the United States in 1840. But 40 years later, they migrated all over the country and could be found in every state.
Famous People Named Davis
Here are some famous people and their occupations with the last name Davis.
- Miles Davis – Musician
- Bette Davis – Actress and Musician
- Geena Davis – Actress
- Matthew Davis – Actor
- Mackenzie Davis – Actress
- Charles Michael Davis – Actor
The image featured at the top of this post is ©maxim ibragimov/Shutterstock.com.