Given name & surname
Donavan
“a brown-haired chief”
Donavan is a variant of Donovan. One Irish interpretation is “a brown-haired chief.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Donavan is a variant of Donovan. One Irish interpretation is “a brown-haired chief.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Donavan is a variant of Donovan. An origin associated with Donovan is Irish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1919. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Donavan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,305
- 8,300 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 2002
- 270 babies
- 2025
- 56
- #2,426 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −32%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 56 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,426 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 32.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 270 in 2002. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,502 as a first name in 2020; 603 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Donavan’s family of names
Donavan has a related form in Donovan.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Donavan
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Donavan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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