| David | John | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beloved | God is gracious |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DAY-vid | JON |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1955 (86,306) | 1947 (88,324) |
| In 2025 | 6,794 | 8,027 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | David | John |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 45,615 | 48,370 |
| 2010s | 116,740 | 102,800 |
| 2000s | 180,098 | 161,104 |
| 1990s | 253,711 | 240,151 |
| 1980s | 383,687 | 321,150 |
| 1970s | 445,704 | 402,612 |
| 1960s | 733,953 | 713,394 |
| 1950s | 769,963 | 797,922 |
| 1940s | 426,372 | 711,614 |
| 1930s | 164,701 | 487,950 |
| 1920s | 88,736 | 564,052 |
| 1910s | 43,853 | 376,311 |
| 1900s | 8,619 | 84,590 |
| 1890s | 7,333 | 80,664 |
| 1880s | 7,569 | 89,949 |
From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid), generally derived from the root dwd meaning 'beloved' (also linked to a word for 'uncle'). Borne by the great Old Testament king, it is one of the most securely attested 'beloved' names.
John comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, “Yahweh is gracious.” The most widespread of all Christian names, it was carried by John the Baptist and the apostle John, and appears in nearly every European language.
John is more popular than David today: about 8,027 US babies were given the name John in 2025, compared with 6,794 named David.
David means Beloved (hebrew origin), while John means God is gracious (Hebrew origin).
In US records, David first appears in 1880 and John in 1880, so David has the longer recorded history.