• David Paige Smith (1830–1880), American medical doctor and professor at Yale
• David E. Smith (born 1939), American medical doctor specializing in addiction medicine
• David Eugene Smith (1860–1944), American professor of mathematics
• D. M. Smith (1884–1962), American professor of mathematics at Georgia Tech
• D. Nichol Smith (1875–1962), Scottish professor of literature at Oxford University
• David Chadwick Smith (1931–2000), Canadian professor of economics, Queen's University
• David C. Smith (historian) (1929–2009), American professor of history, University of Maine
• David Martyn Smith (1921–2009), American professor of forestry at Yale
• David Smith (botanist) (born 1930), British professor of botany
• Dai Smith (academic) (born 1945), Welsh professor of history
• David J. Smith (physicist) (born 1948), Australian professor of physics at Arizona State
• David Livingstone Smith (born 1953), professor of philosophy at the University of New England
• David Smith (historian) (born 1963), British professor of history at Cambridge
• David K. Smith, British professor of chemistry at University of York
• David R. Smith, American professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke University

• David Smith (director) (1872–1930), English film director of the silent era
• David Stanley Smith (composer) (1877–1949), American classical composer, professor of music at Yale
• David Smith (sculptor) (1906–1965), American Abstract Expressionist
• David D. Smith (born 1950), American president and CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group
• David C. Smith (author) (born 1952), American novelist of heroic fantasy
• David Bruce Smith (born 1958), American publisher, real estate executive
• David Lee Smith (born 1963), American film actor, The Man from Earth (2007)
• David A. Smith (designer) (born 1968), British designer, glass embosser, sign writer
• David Brian Smith (born 1981), English artist
• David Branson Smith (born 1984), American film screenwriter
• David Smith (actor), American television actor and model
• David J. Smith (author), Canadian teacher and educational consultant, children's writer
• David G Smith, American singer-songwriter
• David P. Smith, American animator and voice actor, creator of Mixels
• David Smith (reality TV star), participant in second Joe Millionaire show

• Sir David William Smith, 1st Baronet (1764–1837), Canadian soldier and politician
• David Smith (English politician) (1826–1886), British MP
• David Highbaugh Smith (1854–1928), American Congressman
• David Smith (Victorian politician) (1861–1943), Australian politician
• David Smith (judge) (1888–1982), New Zealand judge
• David S. Smith (1918–2012), former U.S. ambassador to Sweden
• David Smith (public servant) (born 1933), Official Secretary to five Governors-General of Australia
• David William Smith (born 1938), Ontario politician
• David Smith (Australian Capital Territory politician), Australian politician
• David Smith (Canadian senator) (born 1941), Canadian lawyer and politician
• David Smith (Western Australian politician) (born 1943), Australian politician
• D. Brooks Smith (born 1951), American federal judge
• David Smith (Quebec politician) (born 1963), Canadian politician
• Adam Smith (politician) (David Adam Smith, born 1965), American Congressman
• David Smith (justice), Canadian judge
• David Brock Smith, member of the Oregon House of Representatives

• David Hyrum Smith (1844–1904), missionary of the Latter Day Saint movement
• David A. Smith (Mormon) (1879–1952), bishop and first president of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• David Smith (bishop) (born 1935), English Bishop of Bradford

Cricket

• David Smith (Gloucestershire cricketer) (1934–2003), English cricketer, 1956–1971
• David Smith (Derbyshire cricketer) (born 1940), English cricketer
• David Smith (cricketer, born 1945), English cricketer
• David Smith (Surrey, Sussex and Worcestershire cricketer) (born 1956), English cricketer
• David Anthony Smith (born 1957), Australian cricketer for the Tasmanian Tigers
• David Smith (Sussex cricketer, born 1962), English cricketer
• David Smith (Warwickshire cricketer, born 1956), English cricketer
• David Smith (Warwickshire cricketer, born 1962), English cricketer
• David Smith (cricketer, born 1970), former English cricketer

Football and rugby

• David Smith (sportsman) (1884–1963), Australian rules footballer, 1903–1914
• David Smith (footballer, born 1968), English professional footballer who played between 1986 and 2003
• David Smith (footballer, born 1970), English professional footballer who played between 1989 and 2004
• David Smith (footballer, born 1993), Scottish professional footballer
• Dai Smith (rugby league) (David Smith), rugby league footballer of the 1900s for Salford
• David Smith (1970s rugby league) (born 1953), rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s
• David Smith (1980s rugby league), rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 1990s
• David Smith (Samoan rugby union) (born 1986), Samoan rugby union footballer for Hurricanes, Blues, Auckland
• David Smith (Northampton rugby union) (born 1988), English rugby union footballer

Track and field

• Dave Smith (triple jumper) (born 1947), American triple jumper
• David Smith (hammer thrower, born 1962), English Olympic hammer thrower
• David Smith (hammer thrower, born 1974), English Olympic hammer thrower
• David Adley Smith II (born 1992), Puerto Rican high jumper

Other sports

• David Smith (sport shooter) (1880–1945), South African Olympic sport shooter
• David Smith (sailor) (1925–2014), American sailor and Olympic Champion
• Davey Boy Smith (1962–2002), British professional wrestler a.k.a. "The British Bulldog"
• David Miln Smith (born 1938), American adventure athlete and speaker
• David Smith (baseball historian) (born 1948), American baseball historian, statistician, professor of biology
• David Smith (racewalker) (born 1955), Australian Olympic race walker
• David Smith (ice hockey, born 1968), Canadian coach, former player, IHL
• David Smith (rower) (born 1978), British adaptive rower
• Davey Boy Smith Jr. (born 1985), Canadian professional wrestler, a.k.a. Harry Francis Smith
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