Davies is a

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...

surname of English or Welsh origin. There are two main theories concerning its beginnings, neither of which has been definitively proven. The first theory contends that it may be a corruption of "

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use f ...

", the name of a medieval Welsh kingdom located in what is now

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

; however, the origin of the kingdom's name is itself disputed, with the traditional belief being that it was founded by the powerful Irish ''Déisi'' dynasty in the third century, or otherwise that it derives from the name of the Demetae people. "Dyfed" as a surname and the related first name "Dafydd" appear from the 12th century, with the latter generally translated into English as "David". The second theory states that it may derive directly from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

name "

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

", which is also the name of Wales' patron saint. The surname is the joint-second most common in Wales and the eighth most common in England, where a large percentage of people have Welsh ancestry. Retrieved 21 January 2014 It is particularly widespread in southwest England, especially

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, and in

northwest England North West England is one of nine official regions of England and consists of the administrative counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The North West had a population of 7,052,000 in 2011. It is the ...

, large parts of which are on England–Wales border, the border with Wales. It is uncommon in the United States, where the variant "Davis (surname), Davis" is seen more. Retrieved 21 January 2014 In the United Kingdom, the surname is usually pronounced the same as "Davis" (). This pronunciation is also used by many other English-speaking countries, though it sometimes competes with , which is particularly common in the United States to distinguish it from "Davis".

Notable people with the surname

A

* Aaron Michael Davies (born 1984), American actor * Adam Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * A. Donald Davies, American Episcopal bishop * Adrian Davies (barrister), English barrister * Adrian Davies (rugby player), 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 * 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

B

* 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, philosopher * Brian Davies, birth name of British illustrator and cartoonist Michael ffolkes * Bryan Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Bryn Davies, British trade unionist and politician

C

* Caitlin Davies, English writer * Carrie Davies, British broadcaster * Charles Lynn Davies, Wales rugby player * Charlie Davies, American footballer * 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

D

* Dai Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * 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, English television presenter * Domenick Davies, German rugby union international * Donald Davies (disambiguation), multiple people

E

* E. T. Davies, Ebenezer Thomas Davies (1903–1991), scholar and priest * 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 (musician), Evan Thomas Davies (1878–1969), Welsh composer

F

* Frances Davies (born 1996), New Zealand field hockey player * Fred Davies (1939–2020), English footballer * Freddie Davies (born 1937), English comedian

G

* 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 * 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, English comedian * Godfrey Davies, English historian * Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, English actress

H

* Henry Davies (disambiguation), multiple people *Hilary Davies (born 1954), English poet, critic and translator * Hopkin Davies, Wales international rugby player * Howard Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Hugh Sykes Davies (1909–1984), English poet and academic * Hunter Davies, Scottish writer * Huw Irranca-Davies, British politician

I

* Ian Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Idris Davies, Welsh poet

J

* J. Glyn Davies, Welsh poet and scholar * Jack Davies (disambiguation), several people * Jack Llewelyn Davies, see Llewelyn Davies * 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 * Jim Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Jimmy Davies, American racing driver * 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

K

* Karl Davies, English television actor * Kay Davies, English geneticist * Ken Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Kevin Davies, English footballer * Kevin Davies (director), Kevin Davies, British television director * Kieron Davies, German rugby union player * Kimberley Davies, Australian actress * Kyle Davies (baseball), Kyle Davies, American baseball player * Kyle Davies (soccer), Kyle Davies, American soccer player

L

* 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

* 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 (1946–2012), Welsh rugby player * 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

N

* Nicholas Barry Davies, British ethologist, ornithologist and professor at the University of Cambridge * Nicholas Llewelyn Davies, see Llewelyn Davies * Nick Davies, British journalist * Nicola Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Norman Davies, English historian

O

* Oliver Ford Davies, English actor * Owen Davies (disambiguation), multiple people

P

* Patricia Davies, Zimbabwean field hockey player * Paul Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Peter Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * Peter Ho Davies, English author * Peter Llewelyn Davies, see Llewelyn Davies * Peter Maxwell Davies (1934–2016), English composer * Philip Davies, British politician * Philip R. Davies, British scholar * A. Powell Davies, American Unitarian Minister

Q

* Quentin Davies, British politician

R

* R.E.G. Davies, English scholar and aviation writer * Richard Gareth Davies, R.G. Davies, English entomologist * 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 * 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

S

* 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 * Shona Rapira Davies, New Zealand artist * Siobhan Davies, English dancer * Simon Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * S. O. Davies, British 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

T

* T. Glynne Davies, Welsh poet and broadcaster * Terence Davies, English film director * Theophilus Harris Davies, British businessman * Thomas Davies (disambiguation), includes Tom Davies * Tim Davies (disambiguation) * Tod Davies, American screenwriter * Trefor Davies, Welsh cricketer * Tru Davies, fictional eponymous character in Tru Calling

V

* Valentine Davies, American film director * Vanessa Lloyd-Davies (1960–2005), British doctor, equestrian and soldier

W

* W. H. Davies, Welsh poet and writer * W. P. C. Davies, English rugby player and headmaster * W. R. Davies, second president (1941–1959) of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire * Walford Davies, English composer * William Davies (disambiguation), multiple people * William Rupert Davies, former Canadian senator * Windsor Davies (1930–2019), English actor

Z

* Zach Davies, American baseball player

Notes

References

{{surname English-language surnames Hebrew-language surnames Surnames of Welsh origin Anglicised Welsh-language surnames Anglo-Cornish surnames Patronymic surnames Surnames from given names

Notable people with the surname

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

V

W

Z

See also

Notes

References