Taavet

Taavet is a masculine given name used in Estonia. It is the Estonian form of David, the name of the biblical king, derived from the Hebrew Dawid. The meaning of the root is commonly given as “beloved” or “dear,” and the form Taavet has been used in Estonian religious texts as the equivalent of David. In modern times, Taavet is a standard Estonian given name used across secular contexts.

The name is primarily found in Estonia and among Estonian-speaking communities, though notable bearers have helped raise its visibility outside the country. One well-known bearer is Taavet Hinrikus (born 1982), an Estonian entrepreneur who co-founded TransferWise (now Wise), a fintech company offering online money transfers and other financial services.

As a traditional Estonian form of a biblical name, Taavet has no official feminine form and is generally considered masculine. Variants of the name exist in other languages (David, Dawid, Dovid); in Estonian, Taavet is the conventional equivalent. The name remains in contemporary use and is part of the broader set of Estonian biblical names.