The first name Dov
A boy’s name meaning “bear”.
1 syllable Male
Meaning and origin
Dov means “bear”.
Hebrew דוב (dov, “bear”)
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 boys were named Dov, making it the 2,952nd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2023, with 19 births (#1,363).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Dov with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Dov at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 123 boys born in the United States were named Dov, the 1,453rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 160 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Dov
5 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Dov Shilansky10th Speaker of the Knesset (1924–2010)
- Asher AngelAmerican actor, born 2002
- Ber BorochovFounder of the Labor Zionist movement (1881-1917)
- Joseph B. SoloveitchikAmerican rabbi and theologian (1903–1993)
- Yaakov BleichAmerican rabbi, born 1964
Questions
- What does the name Dov mean?
- Dov means “bear”.
- How popular is the name Dov?
- In 2025, 7 boys born in England and Wales were named Dov, ranking 2,952nd. Its peak was 2023, with 19 births.
- Is Dov a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 3,623 US babies named Dov since 1880 were boys.
- When was Dov most popular?
- 2022 in the United States, when 160 babies were named Dov, its highest rank at 1,230th.