Dave

Last seen for girls in 1969 at #7,471 · #2,451 for boys in 2025, 55 births
Given to boys 99.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1881 · 135 births
Debut · boys
131 births
In top 100 · boys
2 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
64,378
since 1880

Dave over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201940peak #95, 1881boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#2,45155
2024—#2,01276
2023—#2,18865
2022—#2,35560
2021—#2,19364
2020—#1,97772
2019—#2,12967
2018—#1,93776
2017—#1,82981
2016—#2,36555
2015—#2,14564
2014—#1,88477
2013—#1,82778
2012—#1,86378
2011—#1,96870
2010—#1,95771
2009—#1,78984
2008—#1,63994
2007—#1,552101
2006—#1,60590
2005—#1,460100
2004—#1,414100
2003—#1,253115
2002—#1,244109
2001—#1,32798
2000—#1,33496
1999—#1,224103
1998—#1,30191
1997—#1,26391
1996—#1,23690
1995—#1,053113
1994—#1,038115
1993—#975123
1992—#974123
1991—#909133
1990—#926124
1989—#891128
1988—#742162
1987—#802134
1986—#760142
1985—#723149
1984—#708152
1983—#703148
1982—#665172
1981—#658170
1980—#684160
1979—#684155
1978—#654165
1977—#609189
1976—#609181
1975—#591186
1974—#527227
1973—#504240
1972—#448313
1971—#398414
1970—#358519
1969#7,4715#326562
1968—#284666
1967#6,8045#258774
1966—#240868
1965—#2111,159
1964#6,7675#1791,535
1963#6,5925#1611,996
1962—#1452,362
1961#4,8828#1302,802
1960#5,6966#1223,050
1959—#1193,308
1958#4,8907#1262,957
1957#4,9187#1552,179
1956—#2001,355
1955—#2231,050
1954—#240834
1953—#245768
1952—#242769
1951—#246743
1950—#216874
1949—#1821,163
1948—#1611,508
1947#5,2955#1551,693
1946—#1601,398
1945—#1641,077
1944#3,3788#1631,125
1943—#1671,089
1942—#1621,054
1941#3,5597#177864
1940#3,5037#186769
1939—#193663
1938—#203626
1937—#205593
1936—#220525
1935—#247469
1934—#251458
1933—#271375
1932—#277387
1931#3,4977#282383
1930—#309339
1929—#304332
1928—#310324
1927#3,8757#293378
1926—#301353
1925—#300362
1924—#309343
1923—#324322
1922—#318325
1921—#331320
1920#4,3986#291373
1919—#277361
1918#3,2449#287358
1917#4,5945#289322
1916—#282329
1915—#293295
1914—#267267
1913—#235249
1912—#233222
1911—#219135
1910—#168178
1909—#207102
1908—#184116
1907—#193107
1906—#18598
1905—#150137
1904—#177102
1903—#18588
1902—#156112
1901—#150105
1900—#135166
1899—#132120
1898—#140127
1897—#134121
1896—#141118
1895—#120139
1894—#121129
1893—#134113
1892—#122138
1891—#113124
1890—#110152
1889—#119116
1888—#114146
1887—#120111
1886—#112139
1885—#109128
1884—#97159
1883—#101135
1882#9085#105139
1881—#95135
1880—#102131
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Dave was already there! It came in at #102, and was given to 131 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2010–2025, when fewer than 82 boys a year got the name.

Where Dave is popular in 1940

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedNHWashington: #67 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 322 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedIDMontana: #105 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 472 boysMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #165 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,330 boysMNIllinois: #148 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 1,133 boysILWisconsin: #133 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 1,005 boysWIMichigan: #128 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 959 boysMINew York: #229 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 3,125 boysNYMassachusetts: #250 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,140 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedRIOregon: #75 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 344 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #156 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 842 boysSDIowa: #139 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 842 boysIAIndiana: #142 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 980 boysINOhio: #93 for boys · 92 births · 1 in 589 boysOHPennsylvania: #171 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 2,021 boysPANew Jersey: #163 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,941 boysNJConnecticut: #152 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,853 boysCTCalifornia: #121 for boys · 75 births · 1 in 703 boysCAUtah: #114 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 503 boysUTColorado: #130 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 614 boysCONebraska: #165 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,079 boysNEMissouri: #204 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,718 boysMOKentucky: #251 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,380 boysKYWest Virginia: #209 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,615 boysWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedNMKansas: #195 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,439 boysKSArkansas: #225 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,750 boysARTennessee: #263 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,791 boysTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #206 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,421 boysOKLouisiana: #240 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,509 boysLAMississippi: #191 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,282 boysMSAlabama: #288 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,619 boysALGeorgia: #346 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 3,893 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Dave, so not publishedHITexas: #361 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 2,963 boysTXFlorida: #255 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,209 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Washington#67 · 1 in 322
  2. Oregon#75 · 1 in 344
  3. Ohio#93 · 1 in 589
  4. Montana#105 · 1 in 472
  5. Utah#114 · 1 in 503

Best ever in a state: #48 in Washington, 1943.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Washington#67391 in 322
Oregon#75231 in 344
Ohio#93921 in 589
Montana#105101 in 472
Utah#114111 in 503
California#121751 in 703
Michigan#128481 in 959
Colorado#130161 in 614
Wisconsin#133251 in 1,005
Iowa#139251 in 842
Indiana#142291 in 980
Illinois#148521 in 1,133
Connecticut#15261 in 1,853
South Dakota#15661 in 842
New Jersey#163141 in 1,941
Minnesota#165181 in 1,330
Nebraska#16591 in 1,079
Pennsylvania#171381 in 2,021
Mississippi#191171 in 1,282
Kansas#19591 in 1,439
Missouri#204171 in 1,718
Oklahoma#206151 in 1,421
West Virginia#209121 in 1,615
Arkansas#225111 in 1,750
New York#229301 in 3,125
Louisiana#240151 in 1,509
Massachusetts#25051 in 6,140
Kentucky#251121 in 2,380
Florida#25571 in 2,209
Tennessee#263101 in 2,791
Alabama#288111 in 2,619
Georgia#34681 in 3,893
Texas#361211 in 2,963
Alaska———
Arizona———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Maryland———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Dave
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 439 spots since 2024 (#2,012 → #2,451)
  • 474 spots since 2020 (#1,977 → #2,451)
  • 306 spots since 2015 (#2,145 → #2,451)
  • Biggest jump: 60 spots in 1988 (#802 → #742)
  • Biggest drop: 149 spots in 1989 (#742 → #891)
Rise & fade · boys
1 yr to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1881 at #95 (135 births)
  • Births halved by 2015, 134 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 2 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 2 yrs · 1881–1884
  • Top 1,000: 114 yrs · run 1880–1993
Share of babies · boys
1 in 645
  • Highest: 1 in 645 boys born in 1959 were named Dave (0.15%)
  • Latest: 1 in 31,056 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #95 in 1881, was only 1 in 746 (0.13%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1960s
  • 24.5% of all boys named Dave (15,774) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,339#95 (1881)#107
1890s1,281#110 (1890)#127
1900s1,133#135 (1900)#172
1910s2,716#168 (1910)#255
1920s3,432#291 (1920)#308
1930s4,818#193 (1939)#246
1940s11,740#155 (1947)#168
1950s14,837#119 (1959)#201
1960s15,774#122 (1960)#206
1970s2,589#358 (1970)#538
1980s1,517#658 (1981)#734
1990s1,106#909 (1991)#1,090
2000s987#1,244 (2002)#1,462
2010s717#1,827 (2013)#1,990
2020s392#1,977 (2020)#2,196

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Dave in 1940

girls
#3,503
7 births · 1 in 163,361 girls
boys
#186
769 births · 1 in 1,507 boys

Top girls' names in 1940

  1. #1Mary56,216
  2. #2Barbara36,736
  3. #3Patricia32,665
  4. #4Judith22,385
  5. #5Betty22,077
  6. #6Carol21,759
  7. #7Nancy19,737
  8. #8Linda18,370
  9. #9Shirley17,881
  10. #10Sandra16,153
  11. #3,503Dave7

Top boys' names in 1940

  1. #1James62,481
  2. #2Robert61,198
  3. #3John54,786
  4. #4William44,779
  5. #5Richard37,425
  6. #6Charles31,689
  7. #7David27,690
  8. #8Thomas23,991
  9. #9Donald23,115
  10. #10Ronald20,741
  11. #186Dave769
More about 1940

girls

1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 163,361 of them was named Dave, which outranked 30.3% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dave
  1. #3,208Zane8
  2. #3,208Zela8
  3. #3,208Zondra8
  4. #3,503Dave7
  5. #3,503Adean7
  6. #3,503Agapita7
  7. #3,503Aleatha7
  8. #3,863Adina6
  9. #3,863Adra6
  10. #3,863Adrain6

Tied with 359 names at #3,503; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,494Scarlett#3,429 → #935
  2. ↑ 1,465Lonna#2,206 → #741
  3. ↑ 834Pam#1,797 → #963
  4. ↑ 659Jody#1,638 → #979
  5. ↑ 633Laraine#1,474 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 481Fredia#996 → #1,477
  2. ↓ 430Eleanora#974 → #1,404
  3. ↓ 375Danielle#811 → #1,186
  4. ↓ 342Eloisa#930 → #1,272
  5. ↓ 298Coral#996 → #1,294

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 1,507 of them was named Dave, which outranked 95.3% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Dave
  1. #183Jeffrey799
  2. #184Earnest797
  3. #185Homer773
  4. #186Dave769
  5. #187Hubert762
  6. #188Alexander760
  7. #189Gregory756
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 565Whitney#1,458 → #893
  2. ↑ 447Gonzalo#1,297 → #850
  3. ↑ 419Weston#1,323 → #904
  4. ↑ 368Ashley#1,272 → #904
  5. ↑ 366Agustin#1,238 → #872
Fallers
  1. ↓ 886Montie#916 → #1,802
  2. ↓ 446Verlon#888 → #1,334
  3. ↓ 394Issac#857 → #1,251
  4. ↓ 392Otho#942 → #1,334
  5. ↓ 384Pearl#867 → #1,251

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1940 →