Donovan

Meaning of Donovan

It means "dark-haired chief" or "brown-haired chieftain." It comes from an Irish surname meaning "descendant of Donnabhán."

Donovan has Irish roots — browse every Irish baby name in our catalog.

Popularity of Donovan

Donovan has held fairly steady, sitting around #496 in 2025 after peaking at #176 in 2003.

Notable people named Donovan

• Donovan (Leitch)
  Scottish folk-rock singer-songwriter
• Donovan McNabb
  Former NFL star quarterback
• Donovan Mitchell
  NBA All-Star basketball player
• Donovan Bailey
  Olympic gold medalist sprinter
• Donovan Scott
  Actor, Police Academy movies

More Irish names

Questions about the name Donovan

What does the name Donovan mean?

Donovan means it means "dark-haired chief" or "brown-haired chieftain." it comes from an irish surname meaning "descendant of donnabhán.", and it comes from Irish origins.

Is Donovan a boy's or a girl's name?

Donovan is most commonly used as a boy's name in the United States.

How popular is the name Donovan?

In 2025, Donovan ranked #496 for boys, up from #504 the year before.

When was Donovan most popular?

Donovan peaked at #176 in 2003.