All names A–Z
What does Dave mean?
Modern: A common diminutive of David, meaning 'beloved'.. Dave is a common diminutive of the name David, which is of Hebrew origin meaning 'beloved'.
Is Dave a good dog name?
Not yet rated. Short and clear — a practical length for recall at the park.
Dave in the Pets in the City community
Ranked #118 all-time — about 0.3 in every 1,000 dogs we care for (10 dogs). Trend: insufficient data.
From anonymised, aggregated records of dogs at our 5 Auckland centres, as of 2026-08-01. Our community, not a national census.
What kind of dog does Dave suit?
Modern
Human name
Suggestions only — plenty of dogs happily wear names that break every rule.
Our entirely unscientific pack opinion
Welcome to the Pack, Dave!
The other pups are wagging their tails, wondering if Dave will be as beloved as his name suggests. They just hope he doesn’t insist on being called ‘Sir Dave’ during fetch!