Dev is a Sanskrit name that means "god" or "deity", the same word found at the root of names like Devi and Devdas. It is a popular short name in India and is familiar in the West from the British actor Dev Patel. In the United States Dev ranked number 2345 in 2000, peaked at number 1235 in 2009 and has hovered in the 1300s to 1600s since, standing at number 1427 in 2025.