2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dovan
Irish surname meaning "brown" or "dark-complexioned person."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Dovan. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dovan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Dovan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dovan, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dovan
The surname DOVAN is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the region of County Sligo. It is thought to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "dobhán," which means "little river" or "stream." This suggests that the name was initially used to identify someone who lived near a small river or stream.
The earliest recorded instances of the name DOVAN can be traced back to the 16th century in Irish historical records and manuscripts. One notable reference is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a person named Dovan O'Duffy is mentioned in an entry dated 1582.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name DOVAN appeared in various parish records and land registry documents throughout County Sligo and neighboring counties. This indicates that the name was well-established in that region during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DOVAN was John Dovan, who was born in County Sligo around 1650. Another notable figure was Michael Dovan, a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Sligo in the late 1700s.
In the 19th century, the name DOVAN continued to be prevalent in Ireland, particularly in County Sligo and surrounding areas. Notable individuals from this era include Patrick Dovan (1812-1891), a respected teacher and community leader, and Bridget Dovan (1825-1904), a well-known seamstress and businesswoman in the town of Ballymote.
As the Irish diaspora spread across the globe, the surname DOVAN was carried by emigrants to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One notable figure was James Dovan (1842-1918), an Irish immigrant who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.
Throughout its history, the surname DOVAN has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots and the meaning of "little river" or "stream." While the name may have evolved in spelling or pronunciation over time, its essence remains rooted in the geographic and cultural origins of County Sligo and the surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dovan
Among Census respondents with the surname Dovan, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dovan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Dovan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.0% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander33.0% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dovan
Dovan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-8 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,535 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-24 bearers (-19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,089 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 14,535 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -24 bearers (-19.4%) | Down 20,089 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Dovan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #155,682 | -14.8% |
| Count | 124 | 100 | -19.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dovan bearers went from 124 to 100 (-19.4% change). The surname moved down 20,089 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #155,682.
FAQ
Dovan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dovan?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Dovan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Dovan?
Dovan ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Dovan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dovan.
Has Dovan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dovan went from 124 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 24 (-19.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Dovan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dovan, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dovan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (59 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dovan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%), Hispanic (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Dovan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Dovan mean?
Irish surname meaning "brown" or "dark-complexioned person." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Dovan (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Dovan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.