About the name Donovan
An Irish surname that found a second life as a first name, largely through American sport and a certain sixties folk singer. Donovan has a rhythm to it that makes it sound athletic even at rest, and it has stayed pleasantly clear of the top hundred.
Donovan is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin, pronounced DON-uh-vun. On the NameRarity scale it scores 55 out of 100, which places it in the uncommon band — familiar to everyone, yet rarely duplicated in the same room. Its strongest period was the 2000s.
Name facts at a glance
How popular is Donovan?
Donovan currently falls outside the US top 1,000, which is a large part of why it scores so highly for rarity. Roughly 63 people per million carry it — about 1 in 15,873. In a school of 1,000 pupils you would expect not to find a single one.
Famous people named Donovan
- Donovan MitchellNBA guard and multiple-time All-Star
- Donovan BaileyCanadian sprinter and Olympic 100m champion
- Donovan McNabbNFL quarterback and six-time Pro Bowler
Spellings and variants of Donovan
Names similar to Donovan
Kieran
KEER-un
Little dark-haired one
Sullivan
SUL-ih-vun
Dark-eyed, hawk-eyed
Brendan
BREN-dun
Prince
Declan
DEK-lun
Full of goodness
Desmond
DEZ-mund
From South Munster
Killian
KIL-ee-un
Little church, strife
Achuthan
uh-CHOO-thun
The infallible one, an epithet of Vishnu
Brian
BRY-un
Noble, high
Donovan — frequently asked questions
What does the name Donovan mean?
Donovan means "Dark-haired chieftain". It is a name of Irish (Gaelic) origin, most often given to a boy.
How do you pronounce Donovan?
Donovan is pronounced DON-uh-vun, with 3 syllables.
How rare is the name Donovan?
Donovan scores 55 out of 100 on the NameRarity scale, which makes it uncommon. Roughly 1 in every 15,873 people carry it — about 63 per million.
What is the numerology number for Donovan?
Donovan carries the expression number 4, known as The Builder. Its soul urge number is 4 and its personality number is 9.
What is the lucky number and lucky colour for Donovan?
The lucky number for Donovan is 4 (with 13, 22, 31 also favourable), and its lucky colour is Deep Emerald. The traditional lucky day is Saturday and the associated gemstone is Emerald.