Gender Masculine Usage Welsh Pronounced Pron. /ˈdɛu̯.ɪ/ Meaning & History Possibly from Dewydd, an Old Welsh form of David. Saint Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, was a 6th-century bishop of Mynyw. A later Welsh form of David was Dafydd, which was more common in the medieval period. Dewi was revived in the 19th century.