# 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.
It is also an anglicised version of the Ashkenazi Jewish surname Davidovitch, Slavic for "son of David" and Davidoff.

## 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
* 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 Duncan Davidson (born 1970), software engineer
* James Edward Davidson Australian founder of News Limited
* Jane Davidson (born 1957), Welsh politician
* Jaye Davidson (born 1968), British actor
* 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, 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