Dov

Dov is the Hebrew word for 'bear' (דֹּב), one of the most ancient and powerful animal names in the Semitic world. Bears appear in the Hebrew Bible as symbols of strength and ferocity — King David killed a bear to protect his sheep (I Samuel 17:34-36), and she-bears famously attacked those who mocked the prophet Elisha (II Kings 2:24). The name Dov (or Dob) has been used in Jewish communities for centuries, and in Ashkenazi naming tradition it was often combined with Ber (Yiddish for bear) as the compound name Dov Ber.

Dov is a standard Israeli name used across the Jewish world. In Israel it's known partly through political figures like Dov Khenin (politician) and intellectuals. Among Ashkenazi Jews in Europe and America, the name Dov Ber was common as a compound, honoring the same bear symbolism in both Hebrew and Yiddish. The standalone Dov has maintained steady use in Israeli and Jewish communities.

In Jewish tradition, Dov represents strength, protection, and primal courage. The bear in Jewish symbolism is linked to the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear), which ancient peoples used for navigation. Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch (died 1772) was one of the most important early Hasidic leaders, the 'Great Maggid' and successor to the Baal Shem Tov.