List of people named David

The given name "David" may refer to:

Medieval

Late antiquity to early medieval

David was adopted as a Christian name from at least the 6th century.

• David the Invincible (6th century), Neoplatonic philosopher
• David (commentator) (6th century), Greek scholar
• Saint David (6th century), patron saint of Wales
• David Saharuni (7th century), presiding prince of Byzantine-controlled Armenia
• David I of Iberia (d. 881)
• David II of Iberia (d. 937)
• David of Bulgaria (d. 976), Bulgarian noble
• David III of Tao (d. 1000)

High medieval

• Saint David of Muscovy or Gleb (987–1015), brother of Saint Roman of Muscovy or Boris, and son of Saint Vladimir
• David of Taman, late 10th century Khazar ruler
• David (Da'ud), 11th-century ruler of the Seljuk Turks
• David of Munktorp (died c. 1082)
• David I of Scotland (d. 1153), Roman Catholic saint
• David of Makuria (ruled c. 1268–1272), ruler of Makuria (in what is now Egypt and Sudan)
• Kings of Georgia:
  • David IV of Georgia (d. 1125)
  • David V of Georgia (d. 1155)
  • David VI of Georgia (d. 1293)
  • David VII of Georgia (d. 1270)
  • David VIII of Georgia (d. 1311)

Late medieval and early modern

• David, Lord of Brechin (d. 1320)
• David II of Scotland (1324 – 22 February 1371)
• Kings of Georgia:
  • David IX of Georgia (d. 1360)
  • David X of Kartli (d. 1526)
  • David XI of Kartli (d. 1579)
• Davit as a name adopted by Emperors of Ethiopia:
  • David I or Dawit I of Ethiopia (1382 – 6 October 1413)
  • David II or Dawit II of Ethiopia (1501 – September 2, 1540)
  • David III or Dawit III of Ethiopia (8 February 1716 – 18 May 1721)
• David Bek (d. 1728), Armenian military commander

Modern

Actors

• David Ames (born 1983), English actor
• David Arquette (born 1971), American actor, director and producer
• David Battley (1935–2003), British actor
• David Birney (born 1939), American actor
• David Boreanaz (born 1969), American actor
• David Carradine (1936–2009), American actor
• David Caruso (born 1956), American actor
• Dave Chappelle (born 1973), American comedian
• David Abraham Cheulkar (1909–1981), Indian actor known as "David"
• David Cross (born 1964), American actor
• David Conrad (born 1967), American actor
• David Dayan Fisher, American actor
• David DeLuise (born 1971), American actor
• David Dorfman (born 1993), American actor
• David Duchovny (born 1960), American actor
• David Freiheit (born 1979), Canadian YouTuber
• Dave Foley (born 1963), Canadian actor/Comedian
• David Gasman (born 1960), American actor and director
• David Hasselhoff (born 1952), American actor, singer, songwriter
• David Hemmings (1941–2003), British actor
• David Henrie (born 1989), American actor
• David Hewlett (born 1968), English-born Canadian actor, writer, director and voice actor
• David St. James (born 1947), American actor
• David Jason (born 1940), British actor
• David Kaye (born 1964), Canadian actor
• David Keith (born 1954), American actor
• David Koechner, American actor
• David Kross (born 1990), German actor
• David Lander (born 1947), American actor, comedian, composer, musician and baseball scout
• David Letterman (born 1947), American comedian
• David Lynch (born 1946), American actor, film and television director, musician
• Dave Mallow (born 1948), American actor
• David McCallum (born 1933), Scottish actor
• David Mitchell (comedian) (born 1974), British comedian, actor and writer
• David Morse (born 1953), American actor
• David Moscow (born 1974), American actor
• David Nelson (1936−2011), American actor, director, and producer
• David Niven (1910–1983), English actor
• David Nykl (born 1967), Czech-born Canadian actor
• David Oakes (born 1983), English actor
• David Opatoshu (1918–1996), American actor
• David Paetkau (born 1972), Canadian actor
• David Palffy (born 1969), Canadian actor
• David Hyde Pierce (born 1959), American actor
• David Prowse (born 1935), British actor and athlete
• David Reivers (born 1958), American actor
• David Schofield (born 1951), English actor
• David Schwimmer (born 1966), American actor and director
• David Soul (born 1943), British-American actor and singer
• David Spade (born 1964), American actor, comedian, writer and television personality
• David Ogden Stiers (1942-2018), American actor and conductor
• David Sutcliffe (born 1969), Canadian-American actor
• David Tennant (born 1971), Scottish actor
• David Thewlis (born 1963), English actor, writer and director
• David Tomlinson (1917–2000), English actor and comedian
• David Walliams (born 1971), English actor, comedian, writer and television personality
• David Wain (born 1969), American actor, comedian, writer and director
• David Warshofsky (born 1961), American actor
• Dave Wittenberg (born 1971), American actor

Biologists

• David Attenborough (born 1926), English broadcaster and naturalist
• David Bellamy (1933–2019), British author and environmental campaigner
• David J. Lipman, Director of the National Center for Biotechnology Information
• David Suzuki (born 1936), Japanese Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist

Politicians

• David Bellotti (1943–2015), British Liberal Democrat politician
• David Ben-Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel
• David Blunkett, British MP
• David Byrne (Irish politician) (born 1947), Irish and European official
• David Cameron (born 1966), British Prime Minister
• David Chingunji (1945–1970), Angola politician
• Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States
• David Grimes, former member of the Alabama House of Representatives
• David Lam (real estate entrepreneur), Canada's first Asian-Canadian Lieutenant-Governor
• David Laws (born 1965), British MP
• David Lloyd George, Welsh Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1916–1922
• David McAllister (born 1971), German politician, MEP and former Minister-President of Lower Saxony
• David Miliband (born 1965), British MP
• David Owen (born 1938), UK politician, Labour Foreign Secretary (1977–1979); SDP founder, and leader (1983–1987)
• David Shaw (UK politician) (born 1950), accountant, British Conservative politician
• David Steel, (born 1938), UK politician, leader of Liberal Party (1976–1988)

Musicians

• Dave Abbruzzese (born 1968), American drummer with Pearl Jam
• Daevid Allen (born 1938), Australian guitarist and singer with Gong and Soft Machine
• David Archuleta (born 1990), 2008 American Idol (TV show) runner-up
• David Arkenstone (born 1952), new age composer
• David Bowie (1947-2016), British rock singer, songwriter, producer
• David Bromberg (born 1945) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter.
• David Brubeck (1920–2012), American jazz pianist and composer
• David Byrne (born 1952), musician and former Talking Heads frontman
• Dave Clark (born 1942), drummer with UK band The Dave Clark Five
• David Clayton Thomas (born 1941) lead singer for Blood Sweat & Tears
• David Allan Coe (born 1939) American Country music singer
• David Cook (born 1982), 2008 American Idol (TV show) winner
• David Coverdale (born 1951) British hard rock vocalist
• David Crosby, singer-songwriter, member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• David Crowder (born 1971), singer of a 6-piece Christian electronic rock and worship band from Waco, Texas
• David & David, 1980s pop group consisting of two men named David
• Dave Davies (born 1947), lead guitarist and vocalist of the Kinks
• David Desrosiers (born 1980), member of Simple Plan
• David Draiman (born 1973), vocalist of the band Disturbed
• Dave Edmunds (born 1944), Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer
• Dave Ellefson (born 1964),American Bassist, member of Megadeth
• David H. Evans (born 1961), known as The Edge, guitarist in Irish rock band U2
• David Essex (born 1947), English singer-songwriter and actor
• David Gahan (born 1962), lead singer of the band Depeche Mode
• David Garrett (born 1981), German-American classical violinist and recording artist
• David Gilmour (born 1946), British rock singer-songwriter
• David Gray (born 1968), British rock singer-songwriter
• Dave Grohl (born 1969), American drummer with Nirvana, then Foo Fighters
• Dave Grusin (born 1934), American composer of The Goonies
• Davey Havok (born 1975), American vocalist of the band AFI
• Davy Jones (1945–2012), actor and singer-songwriter with The Monkees
• Dave Lombardo (born 1965), drummer for Slayer
• David Lowery (born 1960), American guitarist, singer-songwriter for Cracker
• Dave Matthews (born 1967), South African-born singer, guitarist
• Dave Mustaine (born 1961),American Guitarist, Singer. member of Metallica and Megadeth
• David Nail (born 1979), country singer
• Dave Navarro (born 1967), guitarist with Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers
• David Nevue (born 1965), solo piano composer and a pianist
• Dave O'Higgins (born 1964), British jazz saxophonist
• David Paich (born 1954), keyboardist of Grammy-winning band Toto
• David Pybus, bassist of British heavy metal group Cradle of Filth
• David Lee Roth (born 1953), American rock singer-songwriter
• Dave Rowntree (born 1964), drummer of Blur
• David Ruffin (1941-1991), American R&B singer and dancer, lead singer of The Temptations
• David Sanborn (born 1945), American jazz alto saxophonist
• David Silveria (born 1972), former drummer of KoRn
• David A. Stewart (born 1952), Eurythmics and Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys
• Dave Swarbrick (born 1941), English folk musician and singer-songwriter
• David Tao, (born 1969), Taiwanese singer-songwriter
• David Usher (born 1966), British rock singer-songwriter

Athletes

• David Abrard (born 1976), French butterfly swimmer
• David Alaba, Austrian footballer
• David Albelda, Spanish footballer
• David Álvarez Aguirre, Spanish naturalized Equatoguinean footballer
• David Attewell, (born 1974), English basketball player
• David Andersen, Australian professional basketball player
• Dave Andreychuk, Canadian ice hockey player
• David Artell, English footballer
• David Aucagne, French rugby union player
• David Backes (born 1984), American ice hockey player
• David Barlow, Australian basketball player
• Dave Batista, American professional wrestler
• David Beckham, English footballer
• David Belle, French founder of Parkour
• David Ben Dayan, Israeli football player (Hapoel Tel Aviv & national team)
• David Bentley, English footballer
• David Binn, American football All-Pro long snapper (San Diego Chargers)
• David Bishop (runner), British athlete
• David Blair (rugby player), Edinburgh rugby player
• David Blatt, Israeli-American basketball player and coach
• David Blough (born 1995), American football player
• David Blu (formerly "Bluthenthal"), American and Israeli Euroleague basketball forward (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
• David Boston (born 1978), American football player
• David Byrne (English footballer) (born 1961), English football player
• David Byrne (South African footballer), (born c. 1961), South African soccer player and coach
• David Carney, Australian footballer
• David Chaussinand, French hammer thrower
• David Cloke, Australian rules footballer
• David Cobb (American football), American football player
• David Coulthard, Scottish Formula One racer
• David de Gea, Spanish footballer, goalkeeper playing for Manchester United
• David Douillet, French judo athlete
• David Dunn, English footballer
• David Eckstein, American baseball (Toronto Blue Jays, Cardinals 2006 World Series MVP)
• David Ferrer, Spanish tennis player
• David Foucault, Canadian gridiron football player
• David Freese, American baseball player
• David Ginola, French footballer
• David Gower, English cricketer
• David Gower (rugby league), Australian Rugby league player
• David Greenwood (born 1957), American basketball player
• David Hala, Australian Rugby League player
• David Healy (footballer), Northern Ireland international footballer
• Dave Hiscock, New Zealand professional motorcycle racer (1970s–80s)
• David Jack, English football manager
• David James (footballer), English footballer
• David Jarolím, Czech footballer
• David Kiefer (born 1984), American basketball coach
• David Klemmer, Australian Rugby League player
• David Krejčí (born 1986), Czech ice hockey player
• David Kushnir (born 1931), Israeli Olympic long-jumper
• David Lane (cricketer), Montserratian cricketer
• David Lee (basketball), American basketball player
• David Legwand, American professional ice hockey player
• David Lighty, American college basketball player (Ohio State University)
• David Lipsky, golfer
• David Logan (basketball), Polish basketball player
• David Long (disambiguation), multiple people
• David Lyons (swimmer), American swimmer
• Dave Magadan, American baseball player
• David Mark Berger, American-born Israeli, Maccabiah champion (middleweight); killed by terrorists in the Munich Massacre
• David Marshall, goalkeeper playing for Cardiff City F.C.
• David McCray, German basketballer
• David McDuling, Australian Rugby Union player
• David Monasterio, Puerto Rican swimmer
• David Moore (disambiguation), multiple people
• David Montgomery (American football) (born 1997), American football player
• David Moyes, Scottish football manager
• David Murphy (disambiguation), multiple people
• David N'Gog, French footballer
• David Nalbandian, Argentine tennis player
• David Neitz, Australian rules footballer
• David Nemirovsky, Canadian hockey right wing (CSKA Moscow)
• David Nesbitt, Bahamian basketball player
• David Njoku, American football player
• David Nofoaluma, Australian Rugby League player
• David O'Leary, Irish football manager
• David Odonkor, German footballer
• David Ortiz, Dominican baseball player (Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox)
• David Pastrňák (born 1996), Czech ice hockey player
• David Pender, American football players
• David Perron (born 1988), Canadian ice hockey player
• David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
• David Pleat, English football manager Tottenham Hotspur, Luton Town)
• David Rhys-Jones, Australian rules footballer
• David Rittich (born 1992), Czech ice hockey goaltender
• Dave Roberts (pitcher), American major league baseball pitcher
• David Robinson (basketball), American former basketball player
• David Rundqvist (born 1993), Swedish ice hockey player
• David Santee (born 1957), American figure skater
• David Seaman, English football goalkeeper
• David Sharpe (American football) (born 1995), American football player
• David Shaw (American football) (born 1972), Stanford Cardinal football head coach
• David Shaw (Australian footballer) (born 1938), Australian footballer
• David Shaw (Canadian football) (born 1953), Canadian football player
• David Shaw (cricketer) (born 1967), English cricketer
• David Shaw (diver) (1954–2005), Australian scuba diver
• David Shaw (footballer, born 1948), English footballer
• David Shaw (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian hockey player
• David Sills (American football) (born 1996), American football player
• David Silva, Spanish footballer
• David Simmons (rugby league) (born 1984), Australian rugby league player
• David Sosebee, former NASCAR Cup Series driver
• David Stagg (born 1983), Australian Rugby League player
• Dave Stephens (javelin thrower) (born 1962), American javelin thrower
• David Stephens, (Born 1991), English footballer
• Dave Stewart, Baseball pitcher
• David Stockdale, goalkeeper playing for Fulham
• David Suazo, Honduran footballer
• David Sullivan (disambiguation)
• David Tabak (1927-2012), Israeli Olympic runner
• David Taylor (footballer born 1965), Welsh football player and coach
• David Trezeguet, French footballer
• David Tsebe, South African marathon runner
• David Tua, New Zealand heavy weight boxer
• David Tyshler, Soviet saber fencer
• David Villa, Spanish footballer
• David Wear (born 1990), American basketball player
• David West (basketball), American basketball player
• David Williams (running back) (born 1994), American football player
• David Wingate (Basketball) (born 1963), American basketball player
• David Wharton, American butterfly and medley swimmer
• David Wright, American baseball player

Authors

• David Batstone (21st century), American journalist
• David S. Broder, political commentator for The Washington Post
• David Chase, American screenwriter
• David F. Dodge, American novelist
• David Eddings, American fantasy writer
• David Eggers, American writer, editor, and publisher
• David Fleming (1940–2010), English environmental writer
• David Frum, conservative Canadian-American political writer
• David Gerrold, science fiction novelist who wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode of Star Trek
• David Hume, Scottish philosopher
• David Henry Hwang, American playwright
• David Indermaur, Australian criminologist, psychologist, and writer
• Dovid Kaplan, senior lecturer at Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem, popular author and speaker
• David Kroyanker, Israeli architectural historian
• David Lassman, British writer responsible for the 'Rejecting Jane' article about Jane Austen and co-author of The Regency Detective series of novels
• David Le Sage, Australian writer and Christian anti-war activist
• David Mamet, American playwright
• David Mills (1961–2010), American television writer and producer
• David Mitchell, British novelist
• David Adams Leeming, American philologist
• David Graham Phillips (1867–1911), American novelist and journalist
• David Rakoff, American essayist
• David Ricardo, British political economist
• David Sedaris, American essayist
• David Shaw (1943–2005), American journalist for the Los Angeles Times
• David Shore, Canadian writer and television producer
• David Simon, American author, journalist, and TV producer
• Henry David Thoreau, american writer and poet
• David C. Unger (born 1947), American journalist
• David Unger (born 1950), Guatemalan-American author and translator
• David Foster Wallace (1962–2008), American novelist and essayist
• David Woodard, American writer and conductor

Crime

• David Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco; 1953), American Satanic serial killer and arsonist
• David J. Carpenter (born 1930), American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and robber
• David Kalac (born 1983), American convicted killer known for killing his girlfriend then posting pictures on 4chan
• David Koresh (born Vernon Wayne Howell; 1959-1993), American cult leader best known for 1993 Waco siege
• David Michael Krueger (born Peter Woodcock; 1939-2010), Canadian serial killer, rapist, and necrophile
• David Ray Parker (1939-2002), American kidnapper, torturer, rapist, and suspected serial killer
• David Westerfield (born 1952), American murderer of Danielle van Dam

Others

• David Álvarez (disambiguation)
• David Brooks (disambiguation)
• David Burritt, American businessman, CEO of U.S. Steel
• David Burroughs Mattingly, digital artist
• David Butts, from the Hooley Dooleys
• David Carnegie (disambiguation)
• David Carson, graphic designer
• David Carritt (1927-1982), British art historian, dealer and critic
• David Carter CBE (born 1927), British industrial designer and educator
• David Charlesworth, English Catholic abbot
• David Dimbleby, British TV commentator and presenter of current affairs and political programmes
• David Edwards (disambiguation), multiple people
• David Eppstein, American computer scientist
• David Evans (disambiguation)
• David Feinstein, rabbi
• David Fincher, film director
• David Frost, (1939–2013), British broadcaster
• David Gest, American TV producer
• David Wark Griffith, film director
• David Hamilton, British photographer
• David Hatendi, (1953-2012), banker and Rhodes Scholar
• David Hayter, screenwriter and voice actor for Solid Snake
• David Hogg (disambiguation)
• David Horler, father of Natalie Horler
• David H. Jarvis, captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service
• David P. Levin, American filmmaker
• David Lichtenstein, American businessman
• David May (disambiguation)
• David Meller (born 1959), British businessman
• David Praporgescu (1866–1916), Romanian general in World War I
• David Rebibo, congregational rabbi and Jewish day school dean
• David Reimer (1965-2004), Canadian victim of a botched circumcision and transgender reassignment surgery
• David Russo (disambiguation)
• David Saint-Jacques, Canadian astronaut
• David Sanders (disambiguation)
• David Schwimmer (banker) (born 1968/69), American banker, CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group
• David Shaw (disambiguation)
• David Stephens (public servant)
• David Talbot, founder of Salon.com Internet magazine
• David Toska, Norwegian bank robber
• David A. Unger (born 1971), American literary and film talent agent
• David Vetter (1971–1984), the "Boy in the Bubble"
• David Willis, cartoonist
• David Woodard, American businessman
• David Yonggi Cho, Korean Christian minister
• David Zarifa, Canadian academic

Fictional characters

• David, a character in the Battle Arena Toshinden fighting game series
• David, real name of Solid Snake, protagonist of several Metal Gear video games
• David, the main character in the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• David (Sesame Street), a human character on Sesame Street from 1971 to 1989, played by Northern Calloway
• David of Sassoun, Armenian epic hero
• David the Gnome, title character in the Spanish animated TV series The World of David the Gnome
• David 8, an android in the Alien movie franchise
• David Aames, a character in the 2001 film Vanilla Sky
• Dr. David Banner, main character from TV series The Incredible Hulk
• David "Dave" Bowman, the protagonist of 2001: A Space Odyssey
• David Brent, the protagonist of The Office
• David Copperfield, title character in the book of the same name by Charles Dickens
• David Fisher, one of the main characters from the HBO series Six Feet Under
• David Freeman, the main character in the movie Flight of the Navigator.
• David "Dave" Lister, main character of the British sitcom Red Dwarf
• David Marcus, Captain Kirk's son in movies Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• David "Section" Mason, the main character in the first person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops II
• David Nolan, character in ABC series Once Upon a Time
• David Platt, character in British soap opera Coronation Street
• David Rossi, a main character in the TV series Criminal Minds
• David Sarif, CEO of Sarif Industries in the game Deus Ex
• David "Dave" Seville, a main character in the Alvin and the Chipmunks series
• David Tarrant, a senior police chief at New Scotland Yard, London, England, from the Power of Five series
• David Telford, a recurring character in Stargate Universe
• David Tran, a character in four of the 54+ Animorphs books
• David "Dave" Turner, character in the TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation
• David Xanatos, one of the main antagonists, turned ally in the animated series, Gargoyles