Donovan
An Irish surname from a Gaelic personal name meaning “brown-haired chieftain.”
The #853 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,640 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Donovan is the Anglicized form of an Irish Gaelic family name built from the personal name Dondubhan. Early writers explained this name as meaning something like “brown-haired chieftain” or “brown-haired chief,” from elements for “brown” and “dark/black” plus a word used for a leader or nobleman. The surname developed as a patronymic, originally marking descendants of an early Irish chieftain.
History
The name is traditionally associated with a prominent medieval Irish kindred, often linked in later genealogical writing to a chieftain said to have been killed in the time of Brian Boru. In Irish usage the prefix O' marks descent, so O'Donovan is the fuller traditional form, while Donovan became the more common anglicized form. The surname remains especially associated with Ireland and the Irish diaspora, particularly in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older Irish surname dictionaries often connect Donovan with the legendary high-king Brian Boru, making it one of the names that straddles both family history and Irish heroic tradition.
From the historical record
“DONNISON. See Donald. DONOVAN or O'DONOVAN. This great Irish famil}^ spring from a chieftain of the X. cent., who was killed in 077, by the famous Brian Boru. By old writers the name is written Dondubhan, which signifies " brown-haired-eliief." O'Donovau in Irish Pen. Journ. p. 331. DOO. The Scottish for Dove ? Le…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Donovan
- Landon Donovan (b. 1982)
- Tate Donovan (b. 1963)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.