Given name
Dafydd
“Beloved”·“darling”
Dafydd is a form of David. “Beloved” or “darling” is a traditional interpretation. The original linguistic explanation is less certain than that familiar meaning may suggest.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Dafydd is a form of David. “Beloved” or “darling” is a traditional interpretation. The original linguistic explanation is less certain than that familiar meaning may suggest.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Dafydd is a form of David. David is a Hebrew biblical name, although its precise Hebrew derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Dafydd is a form of David. The shared background comes through David: One explanation connects David with a Hebrew nursery word meaning “darling.” This remains a proposed derivation rather than an established breakdown into separate elements.
Explained through its name family
The story
Dafydd is a form of David. The history of David gives this family its wider story. The biblical David is remembered as the young challenger of Goliath and later king of Israel. In Britain, the patron saint of Wales and two medieval Scottish kings gave the name further local associations.
Explained through its name family
Dafydd’s family of names
In Welsh usage, Dafydd has a diminutive in Dai. Dafydd shares a linguistic root with David. In Welsh usage, Dafydd has a related form in Dewi.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Dafydd has relatives in 5 languages.
4 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Davidcognate · English, French
- Daveyequivalent
- Daveequivalent
- Davyequivalent
- Daoudequivalent
- Davideequivalent
- Dawidequivalent
- Dávidequivalent
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People named Dafydd
- Dafydd WilliamsCanadian astronaut and physicianborn 1954
- Dafydd ap Gwilym14th-century Welsh poet1320–1370
- Dafydd IwanWelsh musician and politician (born 1943)
- Dafydd ap Llywelyn13th-century Welsh monarch1208–1246
- Dafydd ap GruffuddPrince of Wales and last independent ruler of Wales1238–1283
- Dafydd Elis-ThomasWelsh politician (1946–2025)
- Dafydd WigleyWelsh politician; former MP, Assembly Member and leader of Plaid Cymru (born 1943)
- Dafydd ab Owain GwyneddPrince of Kingdom of Gwynedd1135–1203
- Dafydd ab HughAmerican science-fiction author (born 1960)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Dafydd, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Davydd
“Beloved” · “darling”
>99% boys
Davidde
“Beloved” · “darling”
>99% boys
Dawkin
“a spirited man” · “Beloved”
—
Davo
“Beloved” · “darling”
>99% boys
Daveun
“the beloved one”
>99% boys
Séamas
“he who supplants”
>99% boys
Davian
“the beloved one” · “Beloved”
>99% boys
Daviel
“Beloved” · “darling”
>99% boys