Donovan
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Donovan
One of the first of the appealing Irish surnames to take off in this country, this boys’ name has long outgrown its "Mellow Yellow" association, which came via the single from a sixties singer-songwriter named Donovan.
Donovan was Scottish-born Donovan Leitch, whose name was probably inspired by his father Donald's. He proved to be an adventurous, celestial namer himself--three of his children are Astrella Celeste, Oriole Nebula and Ione Skye.
Another potential namesake is retired pro bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Donovan was in the USA Top 1000 as early as 1900.
Related options are surname Donegan and place name Donegal.
Donovan is also given to girls.
Pronounced DON-uh-vun.
As of October 2026, Donovan ranked #496 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #176 in 2003, Nameberry popularity #387.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #284 | 1,271 | 661.7 |
| 2015 | #282 | 1,303 | 679.8 |
| 2016 | #306 | 1,160 | 611.3 |
| 2017 | #322 | 1,061 | 573.2 |
| 2018 | #324 | 1,030 | 567.1 |
| 2019 | #351 | 947 | 527.8 |
| 2020 | #374 | 830 | 480.9 |
| 2021 | #425 | 727 | 415.6 |
| 2022 | #448 | 692 | 396.3 |
| 2023 | #468 | 650 | 380 |
| 2024 | #504 | 603 | 350 |
| 2025 | #496 | 609 | 356.5 |
World rankings
Donovan for boys
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Donovan.
Donovan on lists
Famous Donovans
- Donovan (Philips Leitch)Boy
Scottish singer,songwriter
- Donovan Jamal McNabbBoy
American NFL football player
- Donovan WarrenBoy
American football player
- Donovan BaileyBoy
Canadian Olympic sprinter
- Donovan BlakeBoy
American cricketer
- Donovan RickettsBoy
Jamaican footballer
- Donovan FrankenreiterBoy
American singer,songwriter
- Donovan Alan OsborneBoy
American baseball player
- Donovan WoodsBoy
American football player
- Donovan PattonBoy
American actor
- Donovan Jerome Leitch (b. 1967)Boy
English,American actor; son of singer Donovan
- Donovan "Donnie" Jackson (b. 1992)Boy
son of actress Shar Jackson
- Donovan Charles Hardy (b. 2003)Boy
son of actress Charisma Carpenter
- Donovan Roth (adopted 2006)Boy
son of actors Matt Roth and Laurie Metcalf
- Donovan Rory MacDonald Gallagher (b. 2007)Boy
son of musician Noel Gallagher
- Donovan Jamal McNabbBoy
Jr. (b. 2008), son of NFL player Donovan McNabb
- Donovan Evers Leitch (b. 2015)Boy
son of actor Donovan Leitch & Libby Mintz; grandson of singer Donovan
- Jagger Donovan Rooney (b. 2008)Boy
son of musician Joe Don Rooney and model Tiffany Fallon
- Landon DonovanBoy
American soccer player
- Jeffrey DonovanBoy
American actor
- Tate DonovanBoy
American actor
- Jason Sean DonovanBoy
Australian actor and singer
- Terence DonovanBoy
Australian actor, father of Jason Donovan
Donovan in pop culture
- DonovanBoy
character in "The Puzzle Ring"
- DonovanBoy
vampire on TV's "American Horror Story"
- Mike DonovanBoy
character in Isaac Asimov's Robot stories
- Matt DonovanBoy
character on "The Vampire Diaries"
- DonovanBoy
character in the manga and anime "Berserk"
- Donovan DesmondBoy
antagonist in manga and anime "Spy X Family"