Dovi

Dovi is a familiar form of the Hebrew name Dov, meaning bear. Its final i gives the short root a more affectionate everyday shape. The animal meaning comes directly from the Hebrew word, rather than from a general word for strength, so bear is the most accurate starting point for explaining the name.

Dovi can be used as a nickname for Dov or as the name a person uses in its own right. The wider Jewish naming tradition also includes Ber, the Yiddish word for bear, sometimes paired with Dov in a double name. That is a translation connection between two languages, not a claim that the names sound alike. For parents drawn to an animal name with a Hebrew family background, Dovi keeps both the root and its familiar form easy to recognize.