According to the U.S. baby name data, both Davey and David saw sizeable increases in usage in 1929:
| Boys named Davey | Boys named David | |
| 1931 | 45 [rank: 985th] | 11,783 [rank: 13th] |
| 1930 | 54 [rank: 911th] | 12,275 [rank: 15th] |
| 1929 | 89 [rank: 655th] | 11,301 [rank: 17th] |
| 1928 | 9 | 9,992 [rank: 19th] |
| 1927 | . | 9,426 [rank: 21st] |
Davey was the highest-rising boy name of the year in terms of relative increase, and David was the second-highest-rising boy name of the year (after Donald) in terms of absolute increase.
The names Davy and Davie also saw upticks in usage in 1929.
What was influencing these names?
Child actor Davey Lee (born David Lea in Hollywood, California, in late 1924).
Davey Lee appeared in six feature films between 1928 and 1930. (He was credited as “David Lee” in two of the films.)
His first movie, The Singing Fool, was a partial-talkie released in September of 1928. He played the part of Sonny, the son of main character Al Stone (played by Al Jolson), an entertainer who’d been deserted by his wife. Here’s how one film critic summarized the young actor:
This little David Lee playing the Jolsons’ kid is a perfect wonder. He plays sick, dead, happy, asleep, affectionate and sad, and talks, in his wee voice that gets over without a blemish.
The Singing Fool was the highest-grossing film of 1928, and one of the film’s songs, “Sonny Boy,” was also a best seller.
The song’s title was used for one of Davey Lee’s subsequent movies, Sonny Boy, which was another partial-talkie released in April of the following year. Here’s how the film critic for the New York Times described the experience of seeing Lee on the big screen:
There was many a rousing outburst [of] laughter [from the audience] at a word or two from the diminutive Davey. His childish speech was not always distinct, but (…) whether or not one understood his lines, they nevertheless carried a strong appeal to one’s heart.
What are your thoughts on the name Davey? (Do like this spelling?)
P.S. The baby name Davey went on to reach peak usage in the mid-1950s, thanks to the Davy Crockett craze…
Sources:
- Davey Lee – Wikipedia
- Davey Lee – IMDb
- “The Singing Fool” [Film review]. Variety 26 Sept. 1928: 14.
- Hall, Mordaunt. “The Screen.” New York Times 9 Mar. 1929: 24.
- Sanjek, Russell. American Popular Music and Its Business: The First Four Hundred Years. Vol. 3. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
- SSA
Image: Screenshot of The Singing Fool