boy's name
Donovan
DON-uh-vun
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 72,892
the United States
#496
2025 births
Donovan means dark brown, and the Irish surname behind it belonged to a king who backed the wrong side — the Uí Donnabháin lost their lands after opposing Brian Boru in the tenth century.
- Donovan is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 2003, when 2,219 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,444 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1900.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Donovan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 83 |
| 1910s | 335 |
| 1920s | 719 |
| 1930s | 866 |
| 1940s | 717 |
| 1950s | 876 |
| 1960s | 1,821 |
| 1970s | 3,768 |
| 1980s | 4,599 |
| 1990s | 12,302 |
| 2000s | 19,389 |
| 2010s | 12,314 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,115 |
What Donovan means
Donovan means dark brown, or descendant of the dark-haired one. The Irish joins a word for brown or dark to a diminutive, describing coloring rather than character.
Where Donovan comes from
Donovan anglicizes the Irish Ó Donnabháin — descendant of Donnabhán, built on donn, brown or dark, with a diminutive. Donnubán mac Cathail ruled in what is now Limerick and allied against Brian Boru's family in the 970s; the dynasty was pushed south into Cork afterwards. The same donn appears in Donnelly and in the Irish word for brown. Its use as a given name is twentieth-century American.
Donovan in use
Donovan peaked in the United States in 2003, when 2,219 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in four of the seven markets we track — 496th in the United States on 609 births, 583rd in Canada, 1090th in England and Wales on 31 and 2139th in France on 15 — across 72,892 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1900.
How popular is Donovan?
In 2025, Donovan was given to 609 babies in the United States, ranking #496 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Donovan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Donovan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Donovan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Donovan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Donovan
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Donovan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Donovan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Donovan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Donovan
What does the name Donovan mean?
Dark brown — the Irish donn, brown, with a diminutive ending.
Is there a story behind the family?
The Uí Donnabháin opposed Brian Boru's family in the 970s and were pushed south into Cork afterwards.
Is Donovan related to Donald?
No — Donald is world-ruler from a different Gaelic root.
How popular is Donovan?
496th in the United States, down from a 2003 peak of 2,219 births.
Is Donovan a girl's or a boy's name?
Donovan is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Donovan?
Donovan has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Donovan?
Donovan is usually shortened to Don and Van.
Is Donovan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Donovan currently ranks #496 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.