Davis

Davis, as a Welsh surname, may be a corruption of 'Dyfed', itself a corruption of 'Déisi', related to colonists from southeastern Ireland who occupied the old tribal area of the Demetae in southwest Wales in the late third century AD. They established a dynasty there which lasted five centuries. 'Dyfed' is recorded as a surname as late as the 12th century, e.g. Gwynfard Dyfed, born in 1175. 'Dafydd' appears as a given name in the 13th Century, e.g. Dafydd ap Gruffydd (1238–1283), Prince of Wales, and Dafydd ab Edmwnd (fl. c. 1450–97), Welsh poet. The given name 'Dafydd' is generally translated into English as 'David'.

'Davis' may alternatively be a patronymic surname originating in Wales that means "son of David".

It is the 45th most common surname in England and 68th most common in Wales. According to the 2000 United States Census survey, 'Davis' was the 7th most frequently reported surname, accounting for 0.48% of the population, preceding 'Garcia' and following 'Miller' in its frequency. It was the 7th most common surname in the United States in 2014.

It is also recorded in the spellings of Davies, Davie, Dafis, Dafys and several others.