Davidson is a patronymic surname, meaning "son/descendant of David" (or "Beloved Son/Descendant"; 'David' lit. "Beloved One"). In the Highlands of Scotland, where the surname is an anglicised version of the Gaelic "mac Daibhidh", Clan Davidson was traditionally a sept of the Clan Chattan Confederation. There are alternate spellings, including those common in the British Isles and Scandinavia: Davidsen, Davisson, Davison, Daveson, Davidsson. While the given name comes from the Hebrew "David", meaning beloved, Davidson is rarely used as a masculine given name or nickname.
Surname
Notable people with the surname Davidson include:
AâÂÂD
- Adam Davidson (disambiguation)
- Alan Davidson (disambiguation)
- Alan Keith Davidson (1929âÂÂ2021), Australian cricketer
- Alan Davidson (food writer) (1924âÂÂ2003), British diplomat, historian and food writer
- Alan Davidson (Scottish footballer) (born 1960), Scottish footballer
- Alan Douglas Davidson, Australian pilot; first Qantas death
- Alan Edward Davidson (born 1960), Australian soccer player
- Alexander Davidson (disambiguation), several people, including:
- Alexander Davidson (architect) (1839âÂÂ1908), Scottish architect
- Alex Davidson (Australian footballer), Australian rules footballer
- Alex Davidson (rugby league), rugby league player
- Allan Davidson (disambiguation)
- Scotty Davidson Allan "Scotty" Davidson (1890âÂÂ1915), Canadian hockey player
- Amy Davidson (born 1979), American actress
- Andrew B. Davidson (1831âÂÂ1902), Scottish Hebrew scholar
- Andy Davidson (disambiguation)
- Anstruther Davidson (1860âÂÂ1932), Scottish-American physician and botanist
- Anthony Davidson (born 1979), British racing driver
- Arnold Davidson, American philosopher
- Arthur Davidson (disambiguation)
- Austin Quinn-Davidson (born 1979), American politician
- Avram Davidson (1923âÂÂ1993), American science fiction writer
- Basil Davidson (1914âÂÂ2010), English historian of Africa
- Ben Davidson (1940âÂÂ2012), American football player
- Bessie Davidson (1879âÂÂ1965), Australian painter
- Bill Davidson (disambiguation), several people, including:
*Bill Davidson (American football, born 1915) (1915âÂÂ1970), American football player
*Bill Davidson (American football, born 1935) (1935âÂÂ1999), American football player and coach
*Bill Davidson (baseball) (1884âÂÂ1954), outfielder in Major League Baseball (1909âÂÂ1911)
*Bill Davidson (businessman) (1923âÂÂ2009), American business and professional sports executive
*Bill Davidson (rugby league) (fl. 1914âÂÂ1923), New Zealand rugby league player
* Bill Davidson, (1948âÂÂ2004), Canadian rock climber, known as Kayak Bill
- Bob Davidson (ice hockey), Canadian hockey player
- Bob Davidson (umpire), baseball umpire
- Brandon Davidson, (born 1991), Canadian ice hockey player
- Bruce Davidson (equestrian), American equestrian
- Bruce Davidson (photographer) (born 1933), American photographer
- Callum Davidson, Scottish football player and coach
- Carolyn Davidson, designed the Nike swoosh
- Charles Davidson (disambiguation), multiple people
- Charlie Davidson (born 1972), American football player
- Chris Davidson (disambiguation), multiple people
- Chy Davidson (born 1959), American football player
- Cotton Davidson (1931âÂÂ2022), American football player
- David Davidson (disambiguation), several people
- Davidson (Essex cricketer), English cricketer playing 1784âÂÂ1787
- Dean Davidson (born 1985), Speedway race car driver
- Della Davidson (1951âÂÂ2012), American modern dancer and choreographer
- D. J. Davidson (born 1997), American football player
- Donald Davidson (disambiguation), several people, including:
- Donald Davidson (historian), British-born Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian
- Donald Davidson (philosopher) (1917âÂÂ2003), American philosopher
- Donald Davidson (poet) (1893âÂÂ1968), American poet
- Doug Davidson (born 1954), American actor
- Duncan Davidson (1941âÂÂ2025), British businessman
EâÂÂL
- Eileen Davidson (born 1959), American actress
- Ellis A. Davidson (1828âÂÂ1878), British art writer and lecturer
- Eric H. Davidson (1937âÂÂ2015), American biologist
- Ernest R. Davidson (born 1936), American chemist
- Frances Davidson, Viscountess Davidson (1894âÂÂ1985), British politician
- Frankie Davidson (1934âÂÂ2022), Australian singer and entertainer
- George Davidson (disambiguation), multiple people
- Gideon Davidson (born 2006), American football player
- Greg Davidson (born 1970), Australian cricketer
- Greg Davidson (American football) (born 1958), American football player
- Gustav Davidson (1895âÂÂ1971), American poet and angelologist
- Harold Davidson (1875âÂÂ1937), English defrocked clergyman
- Harriet Miller Davidson (1839âÂÂ1883), Scottish-Australian novelist
- Brigadier General Henry Brevard Davidson (1831âÂÂ1899), American Civil War, Confederate Army
- Hilda Ellis Davidson (1914âÂÂ2006), English antiquarian and mythographer
- Hollie Davidson (born 1992), Scottish rugby union referee
- Hugh Davidson (disambiguation)
- Ian Davidson (British politician) (born 1950), Scottish politician
- Inger Davidson (born 1944), Swedish politician
- I. Irving Davidson, American arms dealer, political middleman and lobbyist
- Jack Davidson (1875âÂÂ1952), Australian rules footballer
- Jack Davidson (Scottish footballer) (born 1925), Scottish footballer (East Fife FC)
- James Dale Davidson, American founder of the National Taxpayers Union
- James Davidson (disambiguation)
- James Edward Davidson Australian founder of News Limited
- Jane Davidson (born 1957), Welsh politician
- Jared Davidson (born 2002), Canadian ice hockey player
- Jaye Davidson (born 1968), British actor
- Jazzy Davidson (born 2006), American basketball player
- Jim Davidson (disambiguation), several people, including:
- Jim Davidson (born 1953), English comedian
- Jo Davidson, American sculptor
- John Andrew Davidson (1852âÂÂ1903), Canadian politician
- John Davidson (disambiguation), several people, including:
- John Davidson (entertainer) (born 1941), American actor, host of the game show Hollywood Squares
- John Davidson (ice hockey) (1912âÂÂ1996), a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player
- John Davidson (poet) (1857âÂÂ1909), Scottish poet and playwright
- John Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson, earlier known as John Colin Campbell Davidson,(1889âÂÂ1970), British politician
- John Ogilvie Davidson, Canadian packer, guide and rancher, known as "Skook" Davidson
- Major General John Davidson (general) John "Black Jack" Davidson (1825âÂÂ1881), MexicanâÂÂAmerican War
- Jonathan Davidson, British civil engineer and soldier
- Kevin Davidson (born 1997), American football player
- Lauren Davidson (born 2001), Scottish footballer
- Leslie Davidson (1850âÂÂ1915), Scottish cricketer and soldier
- Lionel Davidson (1922âÂÂ2009), English novelist
- Logan Davidson (born 1997), American baseball player
MâÂÂR
- Majel Davidson (1885âÂÂ1969), Scottish artist
- Margaret Davidson (suffragist) (1879âÂÂ1978), Scottish suffragist, teacher and WW1 nurse
- Dame Margaret Davidson (1871âÂÂ1964), British wife of colonial governor of New South Wales, Australia
- Margaret A. Davidson (1950âÂÂ2017), American lawyer and coastal science pioneer
- Marlon Davidson (born 1998), American football player
- Marie Davidson (born 1987), French-Canadian electronic musician
- Mary Davidson (disambiguation)
- Matthew Davidson (disambiguation)
- Max Davidson (1875âÂÂ1950), German-born film comedian
- Melody Davidson, Canadian hockey coach
- Michael Davidson (poet) (born 1944), American poet
- Michael Davidson (singer) (born 1969), singer and songwriter
- Mike Davidson (politician), New Zealand member of parliament
- Mike Davidson (swimmer) (born 1963), New Zealand freestyle swimmer
- Murray Davidson, Scottish football player
- Neil Davidson, Baron Davidson of Glen Clova, Scottish lawyer
- Nora Fontaine Davidson (1836âÂÂ1929), American teacher
- Norman Davidson (biochemist) (1911âÂÂ1972), Scottish biochemist and molecular biologist.
- Ogunlade Davidson, Sierra Leonean academic
- Osha Gray Davidson (born 1954), American writer
- Owen Davidson (1943âÂÂ2023), Australian tennis player
- Patricia Davidson (Canadian politician) (born 1946), Canadian politician
- Paul Davidson (disambiguation)
- Penina Davidson (born 1995), New Zealand basketball player
- Pete Davidson (born 1993), American stand-up comedian
- Philip Davidson (1882âÂÂunknown), American gangster
- Phillip Davidson (1915âÂÂ1996), American lieutenant-general
- Randall Davidson (1848âÂÂ1930), 1st Baron Davidson of Lambeth, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Richard Davidson (born 1951), American scientist
- Richard M. Davidson (theologian), Old Testament scholar
- Robert Davidson (disambiguation)
- Robyn Davidson (born 1950), Australian writer
- Rollo Davidson (1944âÂÂ1970), mathematician
- Ronald C. Davidson (1941âÂÂ2016), physicist
- Ross Davidson (1949âÂÂ2006), British actor
- Ross Davidson (footballer, born 1973), English footballer
- Ross Davidson (footballer, born 1989), English footballer
- Ross Davidson (footballer, born 1993), Scottish footballer
SâÂÂZ
- Samuel Davidson (1807âÂÂ1898), Irish Biblical scholar
- Samuel Cleland Davidson (1846âÂÂ1921), Irish inventor and founder of the Belfast Sirocco Works
- Shanice Davidson (born 2000), British trampoline gymnast
- Stewart Davidson (1886âÂÂ1960), Scottish football player and coach
- Stuart Davidson (cricketer) (born 1972), Scottish cricketer
- Susan B. Davidson, American computer scientist
- Sven Davidson (1928âÂÂ2008), Swedish tennis player
- Thomas Davidson (palaeontologist) (1817âÂÂ1885), Scottish-British palaeontologist
- Thomas Davidson (philosopher) (1840âÂÂ1900), Scottish philosopher
- Tierna Davidson (born 1998), American soccer player
- Tommy Davidson (born 1965), American actor
- Thomas Randall Davidson (1747âÂÂ1827), Church of Scotland minister
- True Davidson (1901âÂÂ1978), Canadian mayor
- Tucker Davidson (born 1996), American baseball player
- W. K. Davidson (1904âÂÂ1974), American politician and businessman
- Walter Edward Davidson (1859âÂÂ1923), Colonial governor of the Seychelles, Newfoundland, New South Wales
- Walter Davidson Sr. (one of the founders of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company)
- Will Davidson, UK footballer active in the 1890s
- William Davidson (disambiguation), several people, including:
*William Davidson (bishop) (1919âÂÂ2006), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas
*Bill Davidson (businessman) (1922âÂÂ2009), Michigan businessman and sports team owner
:*William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan, named in honor of Bill Davidson
*William Davidson (British Columbia politician) (fl. 1867âÂÂ1907), Scottish-born miner and political figure
*William Davidson (congressman) (1778âÂÂ1857), member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
*William Davidson (conspirator) (1781âÂÂ1820), African Caribbean revolutionary
*William Davidson (engineer) (1844âÂÂ1920), Australian civil engineer
*William Davidson (filmmaker) (1928âÂÂ2009), Canadian filmmaker and TV creator
*William Davidson (lumberman) (1740âÂÂ1790), Scottish settler in Canada
*William Davidson (MCC cricketer) (1811âÂÂ1894), English cricketer
*William Davidson (Pennsylvania representative) (1783âÂÂ1867), Pennsylvania politician
*William Davidson (sailor) (1876âÂÂ1939), British competition sailor
*William Davidson (Sussex cricketer) (1920âÂÂ2015), English cricketer
* Sir William Davidson of Curriehill (1614/15âÂÂc. 1689), Scottish merchant and member of the Privy council
*William Davidson Bissett (1893âÂÂ1971), Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross
*William A. Davidson, one of the founders of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company
*William B. Davidson (1888âÂÂ1947), American actor
*William H. Davidson (lieutenant governor) (fl. 1836âÂÂ1838), Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
*William H. Davidson (motorcyclist) (1905âÂÂ1992), American motorcycle racer and president of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
* Brigadier General William Lee Davidson (1746âÂÂ1781), United States War of Independence, namesake of Davidson College
*William Leslie Davidson (1848âÂÂ1929), Scottish philosopher
*William Mackay Davidson (1909âÂÂ1991), Scottish haematologist and pathologist
*William McCartney Davidson (1872âÂÂ1942), Canadian journalist, politician, and author
*William Soltau Davidson (1846âÂÂ1924), New Zealander, pioneer of refrigerated shipping
*William Taylor Davidson (1837âÂÂ1915), owner and editor of the Fulton Democrat newspaper
Given name
Fictional characters
References
See also