David Tennant's Real Name: David John McDonald

Quick answer: David Tennant was born David John McDonald on April 18, 1971, in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. Tennant is a stage surname he chose while training as an actor. He took it from Neil Tennant, singer of the Pet Shop Boys. He is best known as the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who (2005–10) and for Broadchurch and Good Omens (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Britannica states that "Tennant was born David John McDonald in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland." The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Tennant, David, 1971-," with variants including "McDonald, David John" and "MacDonald, David." One citation calls Tennant the "stage name of Scottish actor David McDonald," and another gives "born David John McDonald; 18 April 1971." Transliterated forms appear for Bulgarian, Greek, and Hebrew editions.

According to Britannica, he grew up in Ralston, near Paisley, the youngest of three children. His mother, Helen McDonald, was a founding member of Accord Hospice. His father, Alexander McDonald, a Presbyterian minister, served as moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1997–98. At 16 he became one of the youngest students admitted to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Why "Tennant"?

Britannica says that during his training, when he joined the actors' union, he changed his name, "choosing the surname of Neil Tennant," the singer of the 1980s pop duo Pet Shop Boys.

Career highlights

After graduating in 1991, Tennant worked with the 7:84 Theatre Company and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1996. His 2002 performance in Lobby Hero brought him his first Olivier Award recognition. He drew attention in the BBC's Blackpool (2004) and Casanova (2005). In 2005 he became the tenth actor to play the Doctor, staying until 2010 and later returning for the 50th- and 60th-anniversary specials. He played Hamlet for the RSC in 2008, opposite Patrick Stewart, and appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).

He starred with Olivia Colman in Broadchurch (2013–17) and played the villain Kilgrave in Marvel's Jessica Jones. He played the demon Crowley in Good Omens (2019–) opposite Michael Sheen. His portrayal of serial killer Dennis Nilsen in Des (2020) won him an International Emmy. In 2011 he married actress Georgia Moffett, daughter of fifth Doctor Peter Davison.

Name notes for searchers

McDonald is his birth surname, and some catalogs misspell it MacDonald. David is his real first name and John his middle name. Tennant is a professional surname he adopted for his union registration. His brother, Blair, and sister, Karen, kept the McDonald surname.