Celtic · boy

Donovan

A distinctive name with a calm, steady presence.

Rank 2024

#504

Trend

stable

Band

rare

Styles

classic

Meaning

Dark-haired chieftain

Donovan is a rare boy name with Celtic roots. In 2024, 603 newborns in the U.S. were given the name — ranking it #504 nationally, and its popularity has held steady in recent years. Its style leans classic — tags you can match against your partner's picks in the combiner.

classic

About Celtic names

Celtic names come from the old languages of Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany, and they carry that landscape with them — names meaning fair, little fire, born of the sea. Spellings can look mysterious to American eyes (Saoirse, Niamh) because Gaelic follows its own elegant rules. Many arrive with myths attached: warriors, queens, and figures from stories a thousand years deep.

Meaning and origin are editorial; U.S. popularity comes from Social Security Administration public files.

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