The Davey surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,071 people carried this name — #3,918 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,500 people counted. That is up 3% from 8,816 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Davey surname

A surname originating as a patronymic derived from David.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Davey» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 31 births for the Davey name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The count includes the spelling Davy. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “11 in Sligo and 6 in Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 12
Ulster 10
Leinster 7
Munster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 32 people named Davey.

Most of them — 25 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Gironde.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 25
Gironde 3
Oise 1
Hauts-de-Seine 1
Val-de-Marne 1
Val-d’Oise 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

24 people named Davey live in Switzerland.

They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Basel-Landschaft.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Basel-Landschaft 5
Basel-Stadt 4
Geneva 4
Graubünden 4
Zurich 4
Vaud 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

32 people named Davey is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 32

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Davey was found among the farmers of 7 counties.

It was most frequent in Cornwall: 43 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 233. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Davey and Davy.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cornwall 43
Devon 23
Lincolnshire 22
Suffolk 18
Somerset 17
Essex 12
Norfolk 7

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Davey was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 12. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Davey in American newspapers,
1904–1918.

Newspaper page from Palestine Daily Herald carrying the name Davey
Palestine Daily Herald 1904-02-12
Newspaper page from The Sun carrying the name Davey
The Sun 1918-04-07
Newspaper page from Newark Evening Star And Newark Advertiser carrying the name Davey
Newark Evening Star And Newark Advertiser 1914-12-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,397 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Davey in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2010s.

117,106 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Davey. The most, 19,957, date from the 1910s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 33,774
New South Wales 24,857
South Australia 22,047
Western Australia 14,605
Queensland 12,112
Tasmania 8,459
ACT (Canberra) 1,044
Northern Territory 66

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Davey.

Who carried it

People named Davey,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas Davey
    Thomas Davey 1758–1823 · military personnel
  • F. Davey d. 1916 · soldier
  • Alice Penelope Davey d. 1937
  • Peter Davey d. 1879
  • Rosamund Davey d. 1980
  • John Arthur Davey d. 1946

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Davey,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,916 records

1,916 records of the Davey name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 627
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 393
  • Other U.S. records 896
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Bernard M. Davey

    Born 1915 in Illinois. Enlisted 1941 at Atlanta, Georgia; bookkeeper from Fulton County, Georgia. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1963, buried at Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ada Davey

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Majestic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 11; servant. From Liverpool, England; bound for Boston.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Edward S. Davey

    Born 1930; from Oxford County, Maine. U.S. Army, military policeman; died of wounds 1951 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,916 records for Davey in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia3,696 records

3,696 records of the Davey name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,626
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 816
  • Other Australian records 1,254
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Davey

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Barossa, sailing from Downs in 1844. Native of Dunsford, Devon. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1851. Married 1851 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Robert Davey

    Died 1885 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 68. Will registered in Tasmania in 1885.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anne Davey

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Maidstone, aged 52; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 3,696 records for Davey in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada176 records

176 records of the Davey name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 41
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 39
  • Other Canadian records 96
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Jane Davey

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Delta, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Charles Ralph Davey

    Buried in 2000 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Albert L. Davey

    Died 1909 in Westville, Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 176 records for Davey in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom119 records

119 records of the Davey name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 86
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 32
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Anne Davey

    Buried in 1941 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 71.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Ann Davey

    Buried in 1823 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 49.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Davey

    Honourable Artillery Company. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 119 records for Davey in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand82 records

82 records of the Davey name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 69
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 8
  • Other New Zealand records 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Stanley Erik Henry Davey

    Died 1984, aged 70; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Paul Davey

    Buried in 1933 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 73.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Walter James Davey

    Died 1945, aged 68; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 82 records for Davey in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Davey name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Michael Richard Davey

    Born 1951 in Great Britain; died 1997 in Lalleyriat (Ain).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Reginald Davey

    Born 1921 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Dammarie-les-Lys (Seine-et-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Davey in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Davey name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Richard William Davey

    Died 1947 in Vlissingen, aged 58; captain.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register John Davey

    In the population register of Zuid-Schalkwijk; engine driver, born 1825 in Gwennap, England.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Davey in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Davey.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Davey.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Davey is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Davey volume
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