Given name
Donaven
“a brown-haired chief”
Donaven is a variant of Donovan. One Irish interpretation is “a brown-haired chief.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Donaven is a variant of Donovan. One Irish interpretation is “a brown-haired chief.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Donaven 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 1973. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Donaven through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,186
- 1,186 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2002
- 66 babies
- 2025
- 7
- #9,959 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,959 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 20.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 66 in 2002. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 866 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Donaven’s family of names
Donaven 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.
Similar names
If you love Donaven, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.