Daven
Masculine
Daven is given to both — 2,543 boys and 92 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Daven has an unusual near-neighbor: davn is the Yiddish verb for praying, and its own origin is one of the genuine puzzles of that language.
How old is the name Daven?
Daven first appears in US birth records in 1955 — 70 years ago. The typical Daven alive today was born around 2004, making them about 21 years old. About 2,500 people named Daven are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Daven most popular?
Daven peaked in 2002, reaching #1459 nationally. Today it ranks #3848, 2,389 places below that high. See the whole 2002 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Daven
Ours, offered as ours. Davenen is the ordinary Yiddish verb for saying the prayers, used millions of times a day, and nobody knows where it came from — proposals include an Aramaic phrase meaning of our fathers, an Old French word for the divine, and a Turkic root, and specialists have argued about it for over a century. That a word so central should have no agreed origin is a good reminder that everyday words hide as much as rare ones. The American name almost certainly comes from Dave.
Meaningnot established
Not established
No source is established for the given name, which may simply be Dave with an -en ending or a respelling of Devon. Yiddish davenen, to pray, is a real and much-discussed word whose etymology has never been settled — Aramaic, Old French and Turkic sources have all been argued.
Pronouncing Daven
DAY-ven
Two syllables, first stressed. Some families say DAV-en.
Nicknames for Daven
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1955
- Most boys named
- 200696 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1459reached in 2002
- Change vs 2024
- +27.3%28 in 2025, from 22
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Daven in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Davin in English — spelling variant
- David in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Florida.
Davens among us
people named Daven are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 61,003 born in 2025 was named Daven
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Gordan test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Daven's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Gordan climbed just as high around 1931, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Gordan's path sketches the road Daven is walking now.
Daven sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Daven is headed
Daven should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Daven beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Daven in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Dave is a complete short form that is plain and universally understood.
- Five letters and two syllables, quick to write.
- Read correctly on sight by most English speakers.
- The first vowel is unsettled between DAY and DAV.
- Daven, Davin and Devon are all close and get confused.
- There is no documented meaning for the spelling.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Daven to the vote.
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What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Daven
Masculine · #3848 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Davens are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,500 people named Daven are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Daven in 2025?
- Daven ranks #3848 among US boy names in 2025, with 28 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Daven?
- About 1 in every 61,003 US boys born in 2025 was named Daven — 28 in all.
- Will my child share the name Daven with classmates?
- Daven will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Daven
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Armand#3848 · Tracy#3848 · Stafford#3848 · Dewey#3848 · Donny#3848 · Trevion#3848 · Coltyn#3848 · Isreal#3848
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Daven? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Daven and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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