Davies in my family tree
A second Davies in my family tree
A third Davies in my family tree
Davis in my family tree
Czech, English, French, Jewish, Portuguese, Scots and Welsh: from the Hebrew male given name David Beloved. The given name has been perennially popular among Jews, in honour of the biblical king of this name, the greatest of the early kings of Israel. His prominence, and the vivid narrative of his life contained in the First Book of Samuel, led to adoption of the given name on a limited scale among Christians throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. The friendship of David and Jonathan (1 Sam. 18:1 — 4) was proverbial, adding significance to the name. Its' popularity was increased in Britain firstly by virtue of its being the name of the patron saint of Wales (about whom very little is known: he was probably a 6th-century monk and bishop) and secondly because it was borne by two kings of Scotland (David I, reigned 1124 - 1253, and David II, 1329 - 1371). Its' popularity in Russia is largely due to the fact that this was the church name adopted by Saint Gleb (died 1015), one of the two sons of Vladimir, duke of Muscovy, who were martyred for their Christian zeal.
Variants: English: Daud, Doud. French: Davy. Irish: Dade, Daid; Davitt, Devitt; Taaffe. Jewish: David; Davidi, Daviday (with the Hebrew ending -i); Davidman. Welsh: Dewi (an early form); Dafydd (a later form), Daffey, Taffee, Taffie.
An Irish family by the name of Taaffe are first recorded in Louth Cognates: Hungarian: Dávid. Italian: Davidde, Daviddi, Davide, Davidi, Davitti. Polish: Dawid.
Diminutives: Belorussian: Davydzenko. Czech: Davídek. English: Daw, Day. French: Davet, Davin, Davinet; Davidou (Bretagne). Irish: Davie. Provençal: Davion, Daviot, Davioud. Scots: Davie. Ukranian: Davydenko.
Patronymics: Armenian: Davidian. Belorussian: Davidovich. Croatian: Davidovic, Davio. Danish: Davidsen. Dutch: Davids. English, Scots: Davage, Davidge, Davids; Davies, Davis, Davys; Davidson, Davison, Davisson, Davson. Georgian: Davitashvili. Irish: McCavitt, McDavitt, McDevitt, McKevitt (Erse Mac Daibhéid); McCaet, McDade, McDaid. Jewish (Ashkenazic): Davids; Davidson, Davidsohn, Davidzon; Davidove, Davidov, Davidof, Davidoff, Davidovic, Davidovich, Davidovitch, Davidovits, Davidovitsch, Davidowicz (Polish spelling); Davidovici (Rumanian spelling); Davidowsky, Davidofski (East Ashkenazic; all sometimes anglicized as Davis); Davidesco, Davidescu (among Rumanian Jews). Lithuanian: Dovidaitis, Dovydénas. Low German: Davidsen. Polish: Dawidowicz. Rumanian: Davidescu. Russian: Daudov (from an Arabic form used in [Muslim] Turkic areas); Davidov. Scots: McDavid. Swedish: Davidsson.
Patronymics (from diminutives): Jewish: Tewelson, Tevelov (from Yiddish Tevele). Russian: Davydkov, Davydochkin, Davydychev.
An Irish family by the name of Taaffe are first recorded in County Leath in the 13th century; they are said to be of Welsh origin, and to have arrived in Ireland with Strongbow in 1172. In the 17th century they held the earldom of Carlingford, which was bestowed as a reward for the family's support of the Stuarts. After the failure of the Stuart cause, branches of the family were established in Europe and rose to high office in Austria. Nicholas Taaffe (died 1769) served in the Imperial army and was created a count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1758. A later Count Taaffe was Prime Minister of Austria-Hungary, 1879 — 1893.
Davies or variants was the 7th most common name in England and Wales according to a survey taken by H.M.Treasury in 1944, with a relative frequency of 0.56%.
Davies in my family tree
A second Davies in my family tree
A third Davies in my family tree
Davis in my family tree
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