Dov as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dov

What is the meaning of the name Dov ?

The baby name Dov is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /dov/ (DOHV).

Dov is Hebrew in Origin.

Dov is a Hebrew given name (דֹב/דב/דוב), literally “bear,” shared with Aramaic dob and parallel to Yiddish ber from German Bär. The term appears in the Hebrew Bible as the animal, though not as a personal name, lending associations of strength, protection, and steadfastness. Pronounced “dohv,” it has been steadily used in Jewish communities and is common in modern Israel.

As a personal name, Dov spread through medieval Ashkenaz, often forming the tautological double name Dov Ber (both words mean “bear”), especially in Hasidic lineages; notable bearers include Dov Ber of Mezeritch and Dov Ber Schneuri (the Mitteler Rebbe). Variants and diminutives include Ber, Berel, Berke, Dovi, and Dubi; in Hebrew it may be spelled דב or דוב, while Dov is the standard English form today. Modern adaptations sometimes translate the idea with Bear in English, while the feminine Deborah (Dvora) is unrelated despite superficial similarity.