Davidson (name)

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:

A–D

• Adam Davidson (disambiguation)
• Alan Davidson (disambiguation)
  • Alan Keith Davidson (1929–2021), Australian cricketer
  • Alan Davidson (food writer) (1924–2003), 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) (1839–1908), Scottish architect
  • Alex Davidson (Australian footballer), Australian rules footballer
  • Alex Davidson (rugby league), rugby league player
• Allan Davidson (disambiguation)
  • Scotty Davidson Allan "Scotty" Davidson (1890–1915), Canadian hockey player
• Amy Davidson (born 1979), American actress
• Andrew B. Davidson (1831–1902), Scottish Hebrew scholar
• Andy Davidson (disambiguation)
• Anstruther Davidson (1860–1932), 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 (1923–1993), American science fiction writer
• Basil Davidson (1914–2010), English historian of Africa
• Ben Davidson (1940–2012), American football player
• Bessie Davidson (1879–1965), Australian painter
• Bill Davidson (disambiguation), several people, including:

• Bill Davidson (American football, born 1915) (1915–1970), American football player
• Bill Davidson (American football, born 1935) (1935–1999), American football player and coach
• Bill Davidson (baseball) (1884–1954), outfielder in Major League Baseball (1909–1911)
• Bill Davidson (businessman) (1923–2009), American business and professional sports executive
• Bill Davidson (rugby league) (fl. 1914–1923), New Zealand rugby league player
• Bill Davidson, (1948–2004), 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 (1931–2022), American football player
• David Davidson (disambiguation), several people
• Davidson (Essex cricketer), English cricketer playing 1784–1787
• Dean Davidson (born 1985), Speedway race car driver
• Della Davidson (1951–2012), 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) (1917–2003), American philosopher
  • Donald Davidson (poet) (1893–1968), American poet
• Doug Davidson (born 1954), American actor

E–L

• Eileen Davidson (born 1959), American actress
• Ellis A. Davidson (1828–1878), British art writer and lecturer
• Eric H. Davidson (1937–2015), American biologist
• Ernest R. Davidson (born 1936), American chemist
• Frances Davidson, Viscountess Davidson (1894–1985), British politician
• Frankie Davidson (1934–2022), 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 (1895–1971), American poet and angelologist
• Harold Davidson (1875–1937), English clergyman who was defrocked
• Harriet Miller Davidson (1839–1883), Scottish-Australian novelist
• Brigadier General Henry Brevard Davidson (1831–1899), American Civil War, Confederate Army
• Hilda Ellis Davidson (1914–2006), English antiquarian and mythographer
• Hugh Davidson (disambiguation)
• Ian Davidson (British politician) (born 1950), Scottish politician
• Inger Davidson (born 1944), Swedish politician
• J. Norman Davidson (FRS), Scottish biochemist, pioneer molecular biologist and textbook author.
• Jack Davidson (1875–1952), 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
• 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 (1852–1903), 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) (1912–1996), a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player
  • John Davidson (poet) (1857–1909), Scottish poet and playwright
  • John Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson, earlier known as John Colin Campbell Davidson,(1889–1970), British politician
    • John Ogilvie Davidson, Canadian packer, guide and rancher, known as "Skook" Davidson
  • Major General John Davidson (general) John "Black Jack" Davidson (1825–1881), Mexican–American War
• Jonathan Davidson, British civil engineer and soldier
• Kevin Davidson (born 1997), American football player
• Lauren Davidson (born 2001), Scottish footballer
• Leslie Davidson (1850–1915), Scottish cricketer and soldier
• Lionel Davidson (1922–2009), English novelist
• Logan Davidson (born 1997), American baseball player

M–R

• Majel Davidson (1885–1969), Scottish artist
• Margaret Davidson (suffragist) (1879–1978), Scottish suffragist, teacher and WW1 nurse
• Dame Margaret Davidson (1871–1964), British wife of colonial governor of New South Wales, Australia
• Margaret A. Davidson (1950–2017),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 (1875–1950), 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 (born 1963), New Zealand freestyle swimmer
• Murray Davidson, Scottish football player
• Neil Davidson, Baron Davidson of Glen Clova, Scottish lawyer
• Nora Fontaine Davidson (1836–1929), American teacher
• Ogunlade Davidson, Sierra Leonean academic
• Osha Gray Davidson (born 1954), American writer
• Owen Davidson (1943–2023), Australian tennis player
• Patricia Davidson (Canadian politician) (born 1946), Canadian politician
• Paul Davidson (disambiguation)
• Pete Davidson (born 1993), American stand-up comedian
• Philip Davidson (1882–unknown), American gangster
• Lt. General Phillip Davidson (1915–1996), served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War
• Randall Davidson (1848–1930), 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 (1944–1970), mathematician
• Ronald C. Davidson (1941–2016), physicist
• Ross Davidson (1949–2006), British actor
• Ross Davidson (footballer, born 1973), English footballer
• Ross Davidson (footballer, born 1989), English footballer
• Ross Davidson (footballer, born 1993), Scottish footballer

S–Z

• Samuel Davidson (1807–1898), Irish Biblical scholar
• Samuel Cleland Davidson (1846–1921), Irish inventor and founder of the Belfast Sirocco Works
• Shanice Davidson (born 2000), British trampoline gymnast
• Stewart Davidson (1886–1960), Scottish football player and coach
• Stuart Davidson (cricketer) (born 1972), Scottish cricketer
• Sven Davidson (1928–2008), Swedish tennis player
• Thomas Davidson (palaeontologist) (1817–1885), Scottish-British palaeontologist
• Thomas Davidson (philosopher) (1840–1900), Scottish philosopher
• Tierna Davidson (born 1998), American soccer player
• Tommy Davidson (born 1965), American actor
• Thomas Randall Davidson (1747–1827), Church of Scotland minister
• True Davidson (1901–1978), Canadian mayor
• Tucker Davidson (born 1996), American baseball player
• W. K. Davidson (1904–1974), American politician and businessman
• Walter Edward Davidson (1859–1923), 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) (1919–2006), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas
• Bill Davidson (businessman) (1922–2009), Michigan businessman and sports team owner

• William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan, named in honor of Bill Davidson

• William Davidson (British Columbia politician) (fl. 1867–1907), Scottish-born miner and political figure
• William Davidson (congressman) (1778–1857), member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
• William Davidson (conspirator) (1781–1820), African Caribbean revolutionary
• William Davidson (engineer) (1844–1920), Australian civil engineer
• William Davidson (filmmaker) (1928–2009), Canadian filmmaker and TV creator
• William Davidson (lumberman) (1740–1790), Scottish settler in Canada
• William Davidson (MCC cricketer) (1811–1894), English cricketer
• William Davidson (Pennsylvania representative) (1783–1867), Pennsylvania politician
• William Davidson (sailor) (1876–1939), British competition sailor
• William Davidson (Sussex cricketer) (1920–2015), English cricketer
• Sir William Davidson of Curriehill (1614/15–c. 1689), Scottish merchant and member of the Privy council
• William Davidson Bissett (1893–1971), Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William A. Davidson, one of the founders of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company
• William B. Davidson (1888–1947), American actor
• William H. Davidson (lieutenant governor) (fl. 1836–1838), Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
• William H. Davidson (motorcyclist) (1905–1992), American motorcycle racer and president of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
• Brigadier General William Lee Davidson (1746–1781), United States War of Independence, namesake of Davidson College
• William Leslie Davidson (1848–1929), Scottish philosopher
• William Mackay Davidson (1909–1991), Scottish haematologist and pathologist
• William McCartney Davidson (1872–1942), Canadian journalist, politician, and author
• William Soltau Davidson (1846–1924), New Zealander, pioneer of refrigerated shipping
• William Taylor Davidson (1837–1915), owner and editor of the Fulton Democrat newspaper

• Willie G. Davidson (William Godfrey Davidson, born 1933), designer of the Harley-Davidson Super Glide
• Zach Davidson (born 1998), American football player

Given name

• Davidson Black (1884–1934), Canadian paleoanthropologist
• Davidson (footballer) (born 1991), full name Davidson da Luz Pereira, Brazilian footballer

Fictional characters

• Dr. Ben Davidson, fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, portrayed by actor Mark Derwin
• PC Andy Davidson, fictional character on the BBC science fiction series Torchwood, portrayed by actor Tom Price
• Charlene "Charley" Davidson

See also

• Davidson (disambiguation)
• Viscount Davidson
• Clan Davidson
• Davison (disambiguation)
• Davidsen (disambiguation)