Donivan
Variant of the Irish name Donovan meaning "descendant of the brown chief".
Name Census estimates that about 1,083 living Americans carry the first name Donivan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Donivan today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Donivan births was 2007 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Donivan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 316,486 Americans
Peak year
2007
56 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,755
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Donivan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Donivan from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 419 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Donivan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Donivan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Donivans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Donivan, while Ohio, Georgia, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Donivan
The name Donivan is believed to have originated from the Gaelic language, which is a branch of the Celtic language family. It is thought to be derived from the combination of two Gaelic words: "donn," meaning "brown" or "dark," and "fionn," meaning "fair" or "white." This suggests that the name may have been used to describe someone with a contrasting physical appearance, perhaps with dark hair and fair skin.
The earliest recorded use of the name Donivan can be traced back to medieval Ireland, where it was primarily used in the northern regions of the country. It is possible that the name was also used in Scotland, as the Gaelic language and culture had a significant presence there during that time period.
In terms of historical references, the name Donivan does not appear to be explicitly mentioned in any major ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. However, its Gaelic roots suggest that it may have been used among the Celtic communities of the British Isles during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Donivan was Donivan O'Donnell, who lived in the 14th century and was a member of the powerful O'Donnell clan in Ulster, Ireland. Another notable figure was Donivan MacNaughton, a Scottish warrior who fought in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 against the English.
In the 16th century, there was Donivan O'Flaherty, an Irish chieftain and warrior from Connemara, who is known for his resistance against English colonization efforts in the region.
Moving forward to the 17th century, Donivan O'Malley was an Irish pirate and sea captain who operated off the coast of Ireland and is said to have been a skilled navigator and leader of his crew.
In more recent times, Donivan Browne was an American actor and playwright who lived from 1934 to 2018. He is best known for his roles in films such as "The Deer Hunter" and "The Cotton Club."
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Donivan, showcasing its Gaelic origins and its presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Donivan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Donivan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Donivan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Donivan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,083 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Donivan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 316,486 US residents.
Is Donivan a common name?
We classify Donivan as "Rare". It ranks above 90.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,175 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Donivan most popular?
The single biggest year for Donivan was 2007, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Donivan is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Donivan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Donivan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.