Donovan
Boy name · #495 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Donovan? In official American birth records, Donovan has been tracked continuously since 1900, giving it 125 years of documented American history.
Donovan ranks #495 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 609 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #282, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,956 boys born in 2025 was named Donovan.
The 125-year story
Donovan first appears in the Social Security records in 1900, when 8 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2003, when 2,211 boys were named Donovan — good for #176 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Donovan per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Donovan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Donovan in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Donovan is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Donovan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Donovan is most common
Geography matters for names, and Donovan is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Donovan is most common in NJ (0.7 per 1,000), VA (0.5 per 1,000), CA (0.5 per 1,000), WA (0.5 per 1,000), WI (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Donovan is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Donovan
Statistically, parents drawn to Donovan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dorian, Esteban, Fabian, Cristian, and Keegan.
DorianEstebanFabianCristianKeeganIvanDarianDominick
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Donovan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 609 | #495 |
| 2024 | 604 | #506 |
| 2023 | 652 | #468 |
| 2022 | 693 | #448 |
| 2021 | 727 | #424 |
| 2020 | 830 | #374 |
| 2019 | 947 | #352 |
| 2018 | 1,030 | #323 |
| 2017 | 1,061 | #323 |
| 2016 | 1,160 | #306 |
| 2015 | 1,304 | #282 |
| 2014 | 1,271 | #284 |
| 2013 | 1,237 | #281 |
| 2012 | 1,272 | #276 |
| 2011 | 1,363 | #254 |
| 2010 | 1,644 | #217 |
| 2009 | 1,741 | #215 |
| 2008 | 1,786 | #214 |
| 2007 | 2,044 | #197 |
| 2006 | 1,967 | #198 |
| 2005 | 2,186 | #185 |
| 2004 | 2,055 | #187 |
| 2003 | 2,211 | #176 |
| 2002 | 1,964 | #190 |
| 2001 | 1,657 | #211 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Donovan?
In official American birth records, the name Donovan first appeared in 1900 (over 125 years ago), when 8 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Donovan a popular boy name?
Donovan ranked #495 among boys in 2025 with 609 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #282.
When was the name Donovan most popular?
Donovan peaked in 2003, when 2,211 American boys received the name (ranked #176 that year). Since 2003 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Donovan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,956 newborn American boys was named Donovan. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.