Dog name guide

Davidson

The meaning, background and naming story of Davidson.

Letters
8
Syllables
3Dictionary reading
Starts with
D

Meaning and background

The story behind Davidson

Davidson is a surname with a transparent patronymic structure: it originally identified a son of David. Scottish, English and related surname traditions contain several pathways for that formation, so there is no need to claim it belongs to one exclusive nation. As a dog name, the longer surname-style shape creates an unusually formal alternative to David or Dave.

Origin
Patronymic surname in Scottish, English and other traditions formed from David + son Source
Meaning
“Son of David” (surname formation) Source

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About Davidson

Recorded as a dog’s name

Davidson appears in 4 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.

How to read this count

These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.

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Pronunciation and rhythm

/deɪvɪdsən/

US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.

Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.

View dictionary notation

/deɪvɪdsən/ · primary stress on syllable 1
D EY1 V IH0 D S AH0 N

These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.

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Sources and research notes (2)
  • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
  • Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation

References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.

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