Its popularity derives from the initial oral tradition (Oral Torah) and recorded use related to King David, a central figure in the Torah and foundational to Judaism, and subsequently significant in the religious traditions of Christianity and Islam.

David (Hebrew: דָּוִד, Modern: David, Tiberian: Dāwîḏ) means 'beloved', derived from the root dôwd (דּוֹד), which originally meant 'to boil', but survives in Biblical Hebrew only in the figurative usage 'to love'; specifically, it is a term for an uncle or figuratively, a lover/beloved (it is used in this way in the Song of Songs: אני לדודי ודודי לי, 'I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me').

[2] In Christian tradition, the name was adopted as Syriac: ܕܘܝܕ Dawid, Greek Δαυίδ, Latin Davidus or David.

[4] In Ashkenazi Jewish culture, common hypocorisms of Dovid are Dovi and Dov.

[citation needed] Some female forms of the name are Daveigh, Davetta, Davida, and Davina.