Skip to content
  • Start free trial

Origins of the Davidson surname

A collage of historical images including two family portraits and a postcard of people boarding a ship

What does the name Davidson mean?

Davidson is an English and Scottish surname. It is understood to be a patronymic name, given to those who are the son or in the line of someone named David. The name has particular prevalence in Scotland and the North of England.

Alternative variations of the name Davidson

Davidson, Davidsone, Davidsen, Davidsonn, Davitson

“

I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.

SS
Stuart
TrustPilot review
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Davidsons.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Davidson family's history

Where do most Davidsons live?

In 1921, most Davidsons lived in North East.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Davidsons

How common is your surname?

195th most common surname in the UK

We have 204,000 records for the Davidson surname. The oldest one dates back to .

Who were Davidsons most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Browns

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Davidsons.

What are the most common Davidson first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Margaret

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Davidson family members

Common jobs for Davidsons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Davidsons in 1921
Dressmaker

1,165

Domestic Servant

936

Housekeeper

670

F S

620

Annuitant

495

Common Male occupations for Davidsons in 1921
Coal Miner

1,394

Farmer

1,028

Farm Servant

930

Tailor

717

Joiner

696

An image of a census transcript and a picture of a dairy farmer holding two milk jugs

Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 230,000 family trees with the Davidson surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Davidsons.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Share your discoveries

Find out more about your family in our records

or try an advanced search

Start your family history journey

Start free trial

Start free trial