Fun Facts About the Name Dov
- More than 3 thousand babies named Dov: U.S. records list 3,617 babies given the name Dov from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Dov Mean?
Dov is a Hebrew masculine name meaning "bear." It comes directly from the Hebrew noun דֹּב (dov), the ordinary word for the animal. That word belongs to the Semitic language family: Aramaic has דובא (dubba) and Arabic has دُبّ (dubb), both meaning "bear." These are cognates of the Hebrew term, not its source. In Jewish naming, Dov was frequently paired with the Yiddish name Ber (Yiddish ber, "bear," related to German Bär), so that a child carried the same meaning in two languages at once as the double name Dov Ber. The English word "dove" for the bird is unrelated; the resemblance is coincidental.
Dov Name History & Origins
Dov became a Jewish given name as a Hebrew word name rather than the name of a biblical figure. Ashkenazi Jews in central and eastern Europe commonly gave a child a Hebrew name for religious use and a Yiddish everyday name that translated it or matched its meaning. Dov and Ber were paired in this way, and the same pattern produced Ze'ev with Wolf, Aryeh with Leib, and Tzvi with Hirsch - a Hebrew animal name plus its Yiddish equivalent. Either half could be the name used in daily life, and in some families the two were fixed together as one double name.
The combined form Dov Ber is well attested in early modern and later Jewish life. One notable bearer was Dov Ber of Mezeritch (died 1772), a leader of the early Hasidic movement known as the Maggid of Mezeritch. Yiddish diminutives such as Berel belong to the Ber half of the pair, not to Dov itself.
With the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language in the twentieth century, Dov came into use as a standalone Israeli name without the Yiddish partner. It is a masculine name; the feminine form is Dova.
How Popular is the Name Dov?
Dov has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2022. Its best rank was #1,228 in 2022.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,453 | 123 | 0.0072% |
| 2024 | #1,403 | 133 | 0.0078% |
| 2023 | #1,264 | 152 | 0.0089% |
| 2022 | #1,228 | 160 | 0.0092% |
| 2021 | #1,309 | 143 | 0.0082% |
| 2020 | #1,480 | 115 | 0.0067% |
| 2019 | #1,340 | 134 | 0.0075% |
| 2018 | #1,501 | 115 | 0.0063% |
| 2017 | #1,449 | 118 | 0.0064% |
| 2016 | #1,281 | 142 | 0.0075% |
| 2015 | #1,435 | 119 | 0.0062% |
| 2014 | #1,598 | 98 | 0.0051% |
| 2013 | #1,713 | 86 | 0.0045% |
| 2012 | #1,641 | 94 | 0.0050% |
| 2011 | #1,580 | 98 | 0.0052% |
| 2010 | #1,903 | 75 | 0.0039% |
| 2009 | #1,829 | 81 | 0.0041% |
| 2008 | #2,385 | 54 | 0.0026% |
| 2007 | #1,897 | 75 | 0.0036% |
| 2006 | #1,900 | 71 | 0.0035% |
| 2005 | #2,190 | 55 | 0.0028% |
| 2004 | #2,058 | 58 | 0.0029% |
| 2003 | #2,109 | 53 | 0.0027% |
| 2002 | #2,102 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 2001 | #1,803 | 62 | 0.0032% |
| 2000 | #2,203 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 1999 | #1,865 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 1998 | #2,406 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1997 | #3,192 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1996 | #2,310 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1995 | #2,148 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 1994 | #2,570 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1993 | #2,367 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1992 | #2,227 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1991 | #2,564 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 1990 | #2,055 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 1989 | #2,313 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1988 | #1,917 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 1987 | #2,351 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #2,178 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1985 | #1,705 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1984 | #1,898 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1983 | #2,107 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1982 | #1,906 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1981 | #1,703 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 1980 | #1,823 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1979 | #2,005 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1978 | #2,089 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1977 | #1,795 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 1976 | #1,795 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1975 | #1,849 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1974 | #1,944 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1973 | #1,943 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1972 | #2,268 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #1,720 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1970 | #1,954 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1969 | #2,739 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #2,961 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #2,392 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #2,517 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #2,295 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1964 | #2,344 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #2,229 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1962 | #2,903 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,587 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #1,872 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1959 | #1,927 | 18 | 0.0008% |
| 1958 | #2,046 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1957 | #2,410 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1956 | #2,301 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1955 | #2,334 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1954 | #2,794 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #2,765 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #3,874 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #2,664 | 9 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Dov Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Dov's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Dov's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.