Boy name
Dave name meaning
“beloved; dearly loved”
Dave means beloved or dearly loved. It is an English short form of David, ultimately based on Hebrew Dāwīd and its traditional meaning of beloved. In Türkiye, it is used as a boy's name. David, Portuguese Davi, and Turkish Davut provide related examples from the same historical name family.
What does Dave mean?
Beloved; dearly loved
In Turkish: sevilen; sevgili
Dave illustrates how an everyday short form can become a given name in its own right. It belongs to the same family as David and Turkish Davud. Its biblical connection comes through the source name, while its form reflects English naming usage.
Origin of the name Dave
An English short form of David, from Hebrew Dāwīd, traditionally interpreted as 'beloved'.
| Linguistic origin | Hebrew, European languages |
|---|---|
| Is Dave in the Quran? | No |
| Starts with | D · Da |
How to pronounce Dave
| Syllables | 2 · 4 letters · 4-letter boy names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /dave/ |
Is Dave a boy’s name?
Yes, Dave is used mostly as a boy’s name. See all boy names.
Dave does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 1 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Dave
Names with related meanings
- Emre♂Friend
- Halil♂Close friend
- Enes♂Companionship, friendliness, familiarity
- Can♂Life, soul
- Ferhat♂Hero of the Ferhat and Şirin story
- Caner♂A dearly loved man or brave one
- Davut♂Beloved, dearly loved
- Emrah♂Hero of the Emrah and Selvihan story
- Aziz♂Precious, beloved
- Umutcan♂A soul bringing hope
- Özcan♂Dear soul
- Emircan♂A ruler or prince
Famous people named Dave
- Dave Coskunian · b. 1948
FAQ about the name Dave
What is the meaning of Dave?
Dave means “beloved; dearly loved”. An English short form of David, from Hebrew Dāwīd, traditionally interpreted as 'beloved'.
Is Dave a boy’s name?
Yes, Dave is used mostly as a boy’s name.
Is Dave in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Dave nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Dave?
Dave is of Hebrew and European languages origin.
How many syllables does Dave have?
Dave has 2 syllables and 4 letters.
How popular is the name Dave?
Dave does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 1 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Famous people named Dave?
Notable people named Dave include Dave Coskunian.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm11477 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake