A feminine form of David, from Hebrew meaning 'beloved', with a Scottish feminine suffix '-ine'.
Davine is a feminine form of David, one of the most storied names in Western tradition. David derives from the Hebrew דָּוִד (Dāwīḏ), most commonly interpreted as 'beloved' or 'dear one,' though some scholars connect it to an older Semitic root meaning 'chieftain.' The name spread from the Hebrew Bible — home to Israel's greatest king, poet, and warrior — throughout Christendom, and feminine adaptations arose naturally wherever David took root.
Davine and its near-cousin Davina emerged primarily in Scotland, where David ranked among the most popular masculine names for centuries thanks to two sainted Scottish kings, David I and David II. The feminine form carried the same sense of belovedness with an added lyrical softness. Davine never became a household name in the way Katherine or Elizabeth did, which lends it a quiet distinction.
In the twentieth century it surfaced occasionally in Scotland, Scandinavia, and among Francophone communities — France has long favored feminized Biblical variants — but remained rare enough to feel genuinely individual. Contemporary parents drawn to it are often seeking something that bridges the deeply historical with the refreshingly uncommon. The name carries the weight of psalms and the intimacy of the word 'beloved' without announcing itself loudly, a quality that has given it a subtle, enduring appeal across generations.