Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Donovan

The name Donovan is the transferred use of an Irish surname originating as Donnabhán, the son of Ceallachán, a 10th century Munster King. Donnabhán is the combination of the Gaelic words "donn" meaning ‘brown’ or ‘princely’ and “dubh” meaning ‘black’ plus the diminutive suffix "an" suggesting it may have originated as a nickname meaning ‘little dark one’ or ‘little dark prince’. The original homeland of the Donovans was County Limerick, southern Ireland, around the River Maigue. After the Norman invasion in 1066, the Donovans moved south to County Cork where they amassed a lot of territory and became chieftains of the small independent kingdom of Carbery. They were considered a noble race of people. The first recorded occurrence of the name was rendered O'Donnabhain in the 12th century. Probably the most notorious Donovan to come out of Ireland was Jeremiah O'Donovan (1831-1915), also referred to as Rossa. For more on O’Donovan Rossa, see Historic Figures below. As a given name, Donovan dates back to the early 1900s and was also given a push in popularity in the 60s by the folk-rock singer Donovan.

All About the Baby Name – Donovan

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME DONOVAN

The number Four personality is marked by stability and discipline. This is the personality that follows the rules and is conservative by nature.  They have an earth-bound energy that prefers to build things methodically on top of firm foundations; they don't cut corners. Fours take their time and don't like to be hurried. But the outcome of their endeavors is likely to result in some strong and useful structure, which makes them great engineers and inventors. Fours are anything but frivolous or controversial. This is a trustworthy, straight-forward personality that embodies dedication and organization. They are the backbone and anchor in their relationships, careers and communities. They are tidy, punctual, and full of integrity. Hard-work comes naturally to a Four and they are immensely reliable. This is the personality you can always count on.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME DONOVAN

The name Donovan entered the U.S. popularity charts right at the turn of the 20th century, in the year 1900. In the next 60 plus years, the name would grow ever so slowly in usage. Between the years 1964 and 1969, Donovan managed to jump 400 places up the charts in those six years alone. This increase in usage coincided with the musical success of Donovan, one of the most talented British recording artists of his day. He produced a series of hit albums and singles between 1965 and 1970 – right when American parents were seriously responding to his name. The peak popularity of the name Donovan came at the turn of the 21st century. Between 2002 and 2007, Donovan managed to claw his way onto the Top 200 list of most commonly used males names. Although Donovan has never achieved super-popularity, it has done quite well given its distinct Irish flavor and its off-beat quality. This is not a mainstream choice by any means. It’s so Irish by nature; we have a hard time seeing this name on any boy who’s at least not one-quarter Irish. Americans have been responding to Gaelic-influenced names in recent decades, and they also like the Surnames as Forenames trend. Donovan is a great choice for a little boy descended from the “Black Irish” so you can refer to him as your “Little Dark Irish Prince.” For the same reason, it’s also a thoughtful choice for African-Americans (think: football star Donovan McNabb).

Quick Facts

ON DONOVAN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

281

PRONUNCIATION:

DAHN-ә-vin

SIMPLE MEANING:

Little dark prince

Characteristics

OF DONOVAN

Dependable

Solid

Practical

Hard-working

Industrious

Studious

Conservative

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Donovan

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME DONOVAN

My Ántonia, written in 1918, is considered Willa Cather’s greatest achievement. It revolves around the free-spirited Bohemian girl (Ántonia) and her friends growing up in Black Hawk, Nebraska during the era of pioneers. Larry is the boy who uses Ántonia’s infatuation with him to his advantage. After asking her to marry him, Larry impregnates her, steals her money and runs off without her. Not exactly the most sympathetic of characters, huh? Jim, the novel’s narrator, really dislikes him (but then again, Jim is secretly in love with Ántonia). As a transient passenger conductor on a railroad, Larry freely lives the life of a womanizer. But high-spirited Ántonia nonetheless raises her (and Larry’s) child alone with the same determination, fearlessness and resolve that is representative of the brave people who settled the American west.

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Donovan

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME DONOVAN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Donovan


Popular Songs

ON DONOVAN

Donovan
a song by Happy Mondays

Famous People

NAMED DONOVAN

Donovan (Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Donavon Frankenreiter (musician/surfer)
Donovan Leitch (actor)
Donovan McNabb (football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED DONOVAN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Donovan

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME DONOVAN

O’Donovan Rossa was a prominent member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland, and which also aimed to liberate Ireland from British rule “by force of arms" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was exiled to America where he and his group carried out the “dynamite campaign” which were the first ever bombings of English cities by the Irish nationalists. In America he was one of the leaders of the Fenian Brotherhood which was named after the “Fianna” - small, semi-independent warrior bands in early Ireland who lived apart from society in the forests as mercenaries, bandits and hunters, but could be called upon by kings in times of war. After the English bombings, Great Britain tried to extradite O’Donovan back to England for punishment to no avail (America had granted political amnesty to these Irish bad boys). A mentally unstable Englishwoman tried to assassinate O’Donovan in New York, but he survived the gunshot wounds. He would die at the age of 83 in Staten Island, but his body was sent back to his motherland. His graveside oration, given by Pádraig Pearse, remains one of the most famous speeches of the Irish independence movement. It ended with the lines: "They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us and intimidated the other half. They think that they have foreseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but, the fools, the fools, the fools! — They have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace."