A FIELD REPORT ON THE NAME
Dave
direct · unadorned · plainspoken
Origin & Meaning
AI-WrittenShort form of David, from the Hebrew Dodavahu meaning beloved. While used informally for centuries, American parents began registering it as a standalone legal birth name in the late nineteenth century. Its popularity as an independent entry accelerated alongside mid-century informal naming trends.
Also answers toDavey, Davy
Fig. 1 — Births per annum, 1880–2025
SSA Data 1880 peak: 3,308 souls, A.D. 1959 2025
2025: 55 born, holding steady
Estimated Age
63 yrs
Most Daves were born around 1959 — remembers exactly where the TV was in July 1969.
Peak Reign
1959
№119 that year
Generation
Boomer, 63%
then Gen X 16% · Silent 9%
Rarity
Top 2000 all-time
≈64K ever born · holding steady
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Estimates from SSA birth records and standard survival rates. Immigration and name changes not counted.
Dave grew up with
SSA Databanana-seat bikes·45 rpm singles·Beatlemania
Data vs. Humans
What the data says
SSA Data
SSA: Dave peaked in 1959.
Estimated average age: 63.
What people think
Opinion LedgerAwaiting human data — cast the first votes.
Dave sounds like someone born in —
Fig. 2 — Style Coordinates
AI Seed · Votes Override at n=30 Vintage Modern
Formal Casual
Soft Strong
Cast your vote No account · one tap
In your mind, Dave sounds more like a —
Voting opens when the ledger goes live. No account. 24h cooldown per question.
Public Opinion Ledger
Ledger Opens Soon
The public has not yet weighed in on Dave. Early ballots carry the most weight.
* Early ballots — fewer than 30 cast so far. The ledger settles at 30.
First Impressions
AI-WrittenThe name reads as straightforward and entirely without ceremony. It suggests someone who keeps a toolbox organized by wrench size and answers direct questions with a single nod. Over sixty percent of living bearers belong to the Baby Boomer generation, giving it the conversational weight of a little league coach from 1974. It offers neither mystery nor complication.
Field Notes
AI-WrittenField Note 01
Peak registration occurred in 1959, when roughly three thousand boys were named Dave on their birth certificates rather than David.
Field Note 02
The median living bearer is roughly sixty-three years old today.
Field Note 03
New registrations have leveled off to around fifty-five boys per year.
Notable Daves
AI-WrittenDave Brubeckjazz pianist and composer, b. 1920
Dave Barryhumor columnist and author, b. 1947
Dave Grohlrock musician and songwriter, b. 1969
Dave Chappellecomedian and actor, b. 1973
Ephemera — If Dave were a…
AI-WrittenCity
Duluth
Color
Chambray blue
Job
Land surveyor
Object
Steel tape measure
And what of your name?