David

Commonly interpreted as “beloved.”

David is a widely used masculine name with Hebrew roots and a long history across many cultures and languages. It’s familiar in modern usage partly because it appears prominently in major religious texts and traditions, and it has remained in steady circulation far beyond any single region. From an etymology standpoint, David comes from the Hebrew name Dawid/David and is commonly interpreted as “beloved.” The name is inseparable from its cultural and religious context: King David is a central figure in Jewish and Christian scriptures, and in Islamic tradition the related form Dawud is recognized as a prophet. Different languages also use different conventional spellings or script renderings, which can affect how the name looks more than what it signifies. In English, pronunciation is commonly DAY-vid with two syllables. A practical tip is that international contexts may shift both vowels and stress (for example, da-VEED in French), so it can help to listen for the local form when traveling or working across languages.

Etymology: From the Hebrew name Dawid/David. The meaning is commonly given as “beloved,” and the name is strongly associated with King David in Jewish and Christian texts and with the prophet Dawud in Islamic tradition.