David

David m

Biblical: name of the greatest of the Israelite kings, whose history is recounted in 1 Samuel and elsewhere. As a boy he killed the giant Philistine, Goliath, with his slingshot; as king of Judah, and later of all Israel, he expanded the power of the Israelites and established their security. He was also noted as a poet, with many of the Psalms being attributed to him. He had many sons and, according to the gospels, Jesus was descended from him. The Hebrew derivation of the name is uncertain; it is said by some to represent a nursery word meaning ‘darling’. In America this is mainly a Jewish name, but it has no such weighting in Britain, where it is particularly common in Wales and Scotland, having been borne by the patron saint of Wales (see DEWI (SEE Dewi)) and by two medieval kings of Scotland.

Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Dàibhidh. Irish Gaelic: Dáibhídh. Welsh: DAFYDD (SEE Dafydd), DEWI (SEE Dewi). Polish: Dawid. Finnish: Taavi.

Short form: English: Dave.

Pet forms: English and Scottish: Davy, Davey, Davie. Welsh: DAI (SEE Dai).