Dave
Literal root meaning: “beloved”
About the name Dave
Dave is a boy name with Biblical Hebrew roots, literally “beloved”. It is related to David, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a vintage, unique, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Dave ranked #2456 for boys in the US, with 55 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1959. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Dave were boys.
Etymology
A diminutive of David, which comes from Biblical Hebrew, meaning literally “beloved”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Dave”, “David”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #2456
- In 2015
- #2152
- Babies in 2025
- 55
Popularity of Dave, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Dave
Dave is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Dave
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.