Behind the Name
the etymology and history of first names
Search
View Name: David


DAVID

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Jewish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Czech, Slovene, German, Scandinavian, Dutch, Biblical

Other Scripts: דָוִד (Hebrew), Давид (Russian)

Pronounced: DAY-vid (English), dah-VEED (Hebrew), da-VEED (French), dah-VEET (Russian), DAH-fit (German), DAH-vit (Dutch)   [key]

Possibly derived from Hebrew דוד (dvd) meaning "beloved". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine. Jesus was supposedly descended from him.

This name has been used in Britain since the Middle Ages. It has been especially popular in Wales, where it is used in honour of the 5th-century patron saint of Wales (also called Dewi), as well as in Scotland, where it was borne by two kings. Famous bearers include empiricist philosopher David Hume (1711-1776) and explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873). This is also the name of the hero of Charles Dickens' semiautobiographical novel 'David Copperfield' (1850).

Popularity
Related Names
Namesakes
Name Days
Websites
Images
Ratings
Comments

Contribute Information
Add to Your List

(see also DÁVID)

Home Copyright © 1996-2008 Mike Campbell | Contact Information