Davies Language(s) Welsh Region of origin Wales Variant form(s)
Davies is a patronymic Welsh surname meaning "son of David". It is the second most common surname in Wales , a rank it shares with "Williams ", and the eighth most common surname in England , where many people have Welsh ancestry.[ 1] It is particularly widespread in southwest England , especially Cornwall , and in the areas of northwest England that are near the border with Wales .[ 1]
In the United States, the variant "Davis " is much more common.[ 2] In the United Kingdom, the surname is usually pronounced the same as "Davis" (DAY -vis ). This pronunciation is also used by many other English-speaking countries, though it sometimes competes with DAY -veez , which is common in the United States to distinguish it from "Davis".[citation needed ]
There are two main theories concerning the surname's origin, though neither have been proven. The first theory states that it may stem from the Kingdom of Dyfed , a medieval Welsh kingdom located in modern-day Carmarthenshire ; however, the origin of the kingdom's name is itself disputed, with the most commonly accepted theories being that it was founded by the powerful Irish Déisi dynasty in the third century[ 3] or that it otherwise derives from the name of the Demetae people.[ 4] "Dyfed" as a surname and the related forename "Dafydd " appear from the 12th century, with the latter generally translated into English as "David". The second theory about the origin of "Davies" contends that it may derive directly from the Hebrew name "David ", which is also the name of Wales' patron saint .[ 5]
Notable people with the surname [ edit ]
Aaron Michael Davies (born 1984), American actor
Adam Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
A. Donald Davies , American Episcopal bishop
Adrian Davies (rugby union) , Welsh rugby footballer
Adrienne Davies , American musician
Alan Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Alec Davies , Scottish cricketer
Alex Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Alexandra Davies (born 1977), English-born Australian actress
Alice Davies (1870 – after 1919), British suffragette and nurse
Alphonso Davies (born 2000), Ghanaian-born Canadian soccer player
Alfred Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Alun Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Amanda Davies (geographer) , Australian geographer
Andrew Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Anne Davies (disambiguation) , or Ann Davies, multiple people
Anthony Davies , Welsh snooker player
Antony Davies , American economist
Arthur Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Ashley Slanina-Davies , English actress
Barbara Davies , English teacher and activist
Barry Davies , English sports commentator
Benjamin Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Bevan Davies , American drummer
Billie Davies , American drummer
Billy Davies , Scottish football manager
Bob Davies , American basketball player
Brandon Davies , American basketball player
Brenda Davies (1917–2013), wife and literary executor of Robertson Davies
Brian Davies , philosopher
Brian Davies, birth name of British illustrator and cartoonist Michael ffolkes
Bryan Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Bryn Davies , British trade unionist and politician
Caitlin Davies , English writer
Callum Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Carrie Davies , British broadcaster
Charles Lynn Davies , Wales rugby player
Charlie Davies , American footballer
Charlotte Davies , American model
Chris Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Christopher Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Clara Novello Davies , Welsh singer, mother of Ivor Novello
Clement Davies , British politician
Clement L. Davies , Canadian Christian minister and Ku Klux Klan supporter
Cliff Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Cooke Davies , Canadian politician
Curtis Davies , English footballer
Cyril Davies , English musician
Dai Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Dan Davies (writer) (born 1970), British journalist
Dangerous Davies , fictional character from The Last Detective
Dave Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
David Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Deddie Davies (1938–2016), Welsh character actress
Denys Johnson-Davies , Canadian translator
Denzil Davies , British politician
Diana Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Dick Davies (1936–2012), American Olympic basketball player
Dickie Davies (1928–2023), English television presenter
Domenick Davies , German rugby union international
Donald Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Douglas Arthur Davies (1896–1992), British military officer
Ebenezer Thomas Davies (1903–1991), scholar and priest
Edgar G. Davies (1898–1919), British World War I flying ace
Ednyfed Hudson Davies (1929–2018), Welsh politician
Edward Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Edwin Davies , British businessman and philanthropist
Edwin Davies (publisher) (1859–1919), Welsh publisher and editor
Emiko Davies , Australian-born food writer
Emily Davies , English feminist
Eric Davies , South African cricketer
Eva Davies (1924–2013), British fencer
Evan Thomas Davies (1878–1969), Welsh composer
Gareth Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Garfield Davies, Baron Davies of Coity (1935–2019), British trade union leader
Gary Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Gavyn Davies , British banker and past BBC chairman
Gemma Davies (born 1991), English football manager
Geoffrey Davies , English actor
George Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Geraint Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Gerald Davies Welsh rugby player
Gordon Leslie Herries Davies (1932–2019), British geographer and historian of geography and geology
Grant Davies , Australian canoer
Greg Davies , Welsh comedian
Godfrey Davies , English historian
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies , English actress
J. Glyn Davies , Welsh poet and scholar
Jack Davies (disambiguation) , several people
Jack Llewelyn Davies , second eldest of the Llewelyn Davies boys befriended by Peter Pan creator J. M. Barrie
Jackson Davies , Canadian actor
Jacob G. Davies (1795–1857), American politician
James Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jeremy Davies (exorcist) , English Catholic priest
Jeremy Davies , American actor
Jérémy Davies , Canadian ice hockey player
Jim Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jimmy Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jocelyn Davies , Welsh politician
Joe Davies (disambiguation)
John Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jon Davies , American meteorologist and storm chaser
Jonathan Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Joseph Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jude Davies , British academic
L. P. Davies , British novelist
Lane Davies , American actor
Laura Davies , English golfer
Libby Davies , Canadian politician
Lilian May Davies , later Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland
Lindy Davies , Australian actress
Llewellyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies , British general
Lorys Davies , British Anglican priest
Louis Henry Davies , Canadian politician
Luke Davies , Australian writer
Lyndal Davies , Australian wildlife documentary maker
Lynn Davies , British athlete
M. C. Davies (1835–1913), Australian businessman
Mandy Rice-Davies (1944–2014), Welsh model
Marcus Davies (born 1991), Australian rules footballer
Marianne Davies , English musician
Marion Davies (1897–1961), American actress
Mark Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Marshall Davies (born 1930), American musician; pianist, professor
Martin Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Mary Elizabeth Davies (1925–2015), Welsh chess master
Matthew Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Mervyn Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Michael Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Mike Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Mims Davies (born 1975), British Conservative politician, MP for Eastleigh since 2015
A. Morley Davies (1869–1959), British paleontologist
R.E.G. Davies , English scholar and aviation writer
Ray Davies , English musician and member of The Kinks
Reine Davies , American actress
Rees Davies , Welsh historian
Rhett Davies , producer
Rhys Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Richard Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Richard Gareth Davies , English entomologist
Rick Davies , English musician with Supertramp
Riley Davies, British rapper known as ArrDee
Robert Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Rob Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Robertson Davies , Canadian author
Robin Davies (1954–2010), Welsh actor
Roger Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Ron Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Ronald Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Rosemary Davies , American actress
Rosina Davies (1863–1949), Welsh evangelist
Roy Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Rupert Davies , English actor
Russell Davies , Welsh television personality
Russell T Davies , Welsh television writer
Ryan Davies , Welsh entertainer
Sally Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Sam Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Samuel Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Sara Davies (born 1984), British businesswoman
Sarah Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Scott Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Sean Davies (born 1973), Zimbabwean cricketer
Sean Davies (footballer) (born 1985), English footballer
Sharron Davies (born 1962), English swimmer
Shaun Davies , multiple people
Shona Rapira Davies , New Zealand artist
Siobhan Davies , English dancer
Simon Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
S. O. Davies (1886-1972), British politician
Somerset Davies (1754–1817), English politician
Sonja Davies , New Zealand trade unionist and politician
Stan Davies (1898–1972), Welsh international footballer
Stephen Davies (disambiguation) , multiple people
Steven Davies , English cricketer
Stevie Davies , Welsh novelist
Stewart Davies , English football chairman
Stuart Davies (rugby union) (born 1965), Welsh rugby union player
Sue Jones-Davies , Welsh actress and singer
Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (1866–1910), mother of the boys who served as the inspiration for Peter Pan