Armenian2 syllablesBiblical
Meaning: traditionally glossed as beloved.
Davit
| Origin | Armenian — Դավիթ, the Armenian form of Hebrew Dawid, in use since the Bible was first translated into Armenian |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Traditionally glossed as beloved, from the Hebrew root d-w-d; the ultimate derivation is disputed |
| Pronunciation | dah-VEET — two syllables, stress on the second, the final consonant a clean t |
| Popularity | Outside the current U.S. top 100; in Armenia it has sat at or near the top of the register for a generation |
| Variants | David, Tavit (Western Armenian), Daviti (Georgian), Dawid, Davide, Dafydd |
| Nicknames | Davo and Dav in Armenian; Georgian speakers of the same name use Dato |
| National epic | David of Sassoun, the hero of Daredevils of Sassoun, a different David entirely |
History & meaning
Davit arrived with the alphabet. Mesrop Mashtots devised Armenian letters around 405, and the first thing rendered into them was scripture; the translation was so good that Armenians still call it the Queen of Translations. Every biblical name on this site's Armenian pages comes down through that text, Davit among them, with the Hebrew Dawid reshaped by Greek spelling and Armenian stress. The gloss is the same one the Hebrew carries: beloved, from the root d-w-d, though the ultimate derivation has never been settled.
There is a second Davit, and confusing him with the psalmist is the standard mistake. David of Sassoun — Sasuntsi Davit — is the hero of Daredevils of Sassoun, the oral epic that was first written down in 1873 when Garegin Srvandztiants heard a peasant recite it; he is a giant on a fire-breathing horse who throws off Arab tribute, and Yervand Kochar's furious 1959 bronze of him stands outside Yerevan's railway station. Between the two Davits sit the real ones: Davit Anhaght, David the Invincible, the sixth-century Neoplatonist who taught Aristotle in Armenian, and Davit Bek, who led the armed resistance in Syunik in the 1720s.
Why parents choose it
Davit does something few heritage names manage: an English speaker reads it correctly on sight and still hears that it is not David. The stress does the work. It is also shared with Georgian, which makes it an easy name in the Caucasus generally, and Davo is waiting as an everyday short form.
Middle names for Davit
A second-syllable stress leaves room for a heavier middle: Davit Aram, Davit Levon, Davit Michael, Davit Sarkis. Our middle names guide covers pairing a heritage first name with an English middle.
Famous Davits
Davit Anhaght is the earliest of consequence, a philosopher whose commentaries were still being copied a thousand years after he wrote them. Davit Bek commanded the Syunik campaigns against Ottoman and Persian forces and became the subject of a Raffi novel and a Soviet-era film. The epic David of Sassoun is not a historical person but is better known in Armenia than either.
Consider instead
David is the same name with none of the explaining. Samvel sits in the same biblical layer and is less predictable. Hayk abandons scripture altogether for the patriarch Armenians name themselves after.