Arabic form of David, derived from Hebrew 'Dawid' meaning 'beloved' or 'darling.'
Dawoud is the Arabic form of David — from the Hebrew דָּוִד (Dawid), generally understood to mean 'beloved' — and it is a name of extraordinary sacred and cultural significance across the Islamic world. In the Quran, Dawud is a prophet and king, a figure of immense spiritual power who received the Zabur (Psalms) as divine revelation, was gifted extraordinary wisdom and the ability to understand the speech of animals, and forged iron with his bare hands at God's command. He is mentioned in the Quran more than sixteen times and is revered as one of the great prophets of monotheism.
The name connects Islamic tradition to the long Abrahamic narrative: Dawoud is the same figure as the biblical David, slayer of Goliath, psalmist, king of Israel — and father of Suleiman (Solomon). This shared heritage makes Dawoud a name that bridges Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sacred history, a name present at the founding stories of all three traditions. Classical Islamic scholars wrote extensively on Dawud's qualities — his humility, his musicality, his justice — and the name has been borne by caliphs, scholars, and saints across fourteen centuries of Islamic civilization.
In Arabic-speaking communities and across the broader Muslim world — from Morocco to Indonesia, from Senegal to Pakistan — Dawoud remains a name of everyday dignity and quiet prestige. In Western countries it appears in immigrant communities and among converts to Islam, where it asserts both religious identity and cultural heritage. The 'w' in the middle gives the Arabic transliteration a visual warmth that 'Daud' lacks, and it has the advantage of being pronounceable to English speakers while remaining unmistakably Arabic in character.