Donovan

Did you know?

A few things about Donovan you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Donovan

Donovan

Scottish musician (born 1946)

Choose Donovan and your child shares a first name with Donovan, a Scottish musician. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Donovan, like who?” Donovan's Wikipedia article is available in 43 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Donovan on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,805 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Donovan, 609 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Donovan would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDonovan first shows up in US birth records in 1900, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 125 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2003, when it reached #176.
• 📉Then vs nowDonovan was 2.5× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,143 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 2,805.
• 🍂TrendDonovan has slipped 121 places over the last five years and now sits at #495. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedDonovan is most popular in New Jersey, where it ranks #313, followed by California (#376) and Connecticut (#382). It's in the top 1,000 in 33 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Irish, Donovan means “dark chieftain”. Our records link it to Celtic, Gaelic and Irish roots.

About the name Donovan

Donovan is a boy name of Celtic, Gaelic and Irish origin meaning “dark chieftain”. It has 7 letters and 3 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-van”. US birth records list Donovan for boys from 1900 to 2025, in 125 of those 126 years. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked #176 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #495, with 609 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesGaelic namesIrish namesIrish surname names