Davys

Davys is a surname of English origin. It is a less common variant of the patronymic surname Davies and is generally regarded as deriving from the given name David. The spelling Davys reflects early modern English practices of adding an -s to form a possessive or patronymic form.

The root is the given name David, a name popular in medieval Britain and across Christian Europe. Variants over time include Davy, Davie, and Davy, with Davys appearing in records from the 16th to 18th centuries. The form Davys sometimes coexisted with Davies and Davis, with regional spellings influenced by dialect, clerical recording, and immigration.

Davys has been identified in England and Ireland in early modern and modern records, though it remains far less common than Davies. Through emigration to North America, the British and Irish diaspora carried the surname to the United States, Canada, and Australia, where it persists in limited numbers.

Today, Davys is a relatively rare surname. It is most likely to be found in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and among descendants of emigrants in countries with historical British settlement. In genealogical sources, Davys is frequently cross-referenced with Davies, Davis, and related forms, reflecting shifts in spelling across parish registers, censuses, and immigration records.

See also Davies (surname), Davy (surname).