Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Donivan isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Donivan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,181
- 1,181 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 56 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #12,531 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −44%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 12,531 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 56 in 2007. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 944 as a first name in 2020; 382 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.
Donivan’s family of names
Inner ring: spellings · outer: across languages.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Donivan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dorian
“of the ancient Greek tribe, the Dorians”
97% boys · 3% girls
Dominick
“a lord”
>99% boys
Damien
“one who tames or subdues others”
>99% boys
Keegan
“small and fiery woman” · “a small and fiery man”
90% boys · 10% girls
Davis
“the son of David”
95% boys · 5% girls
Esteban
“one who is crowned in victory”
>99% boys
Fabian
“one who grows beans”
>99% boys
Deacon
“the dusty one; a servant”
>99% boys