Davy Jones
/ˈdeɪvi ˈdʒoʊnz/noun
A folkloric name for the devil or the personification of the sea, especially in the phrase “Davy Jones’s locker” for the ocean depths or a watery grave.
Did you know?The phrase “Davy Jones’s locker” appears in English by the eighteenth century, but the identity of the original Davy Jones remains uncertain; proposed origins include a real sailor, a corruption of “Devil Jonah,” or Welsh and Caribbean folklore.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
Dāwīḏ
“The personal name David, traditionally interpreted as “beloved” or “darling”.”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
Yōḥānān
“The personal name behind John, meaning “Yahweh is gracious” or “the Lord is gracious.””
Late Antiquity
Greek
Dauid / Iōannēs
“Greek forms of David and John, transmitted through Jewish and Christian naming traditions.”
Medieval English
English
Davy / John
“Davy developed as a familiar form of David; John became one of the most common English personal names.”
18th Century
English
Davy Jones
“A sailors’ folkloric name for a sea devil or supernatural ruler of the ocean depths; “Davy Jones’s locker” meant the seabed or a watery grave.”
Modern English
English
Davy Jones
“A literary and popular-culture name associated with the sea, death by drowning, and the imagined underworld beneath the waves.”