History of your Surname
Get access to Donavan family records.Start a free trial

Donavan Family History

Donavan Name Meaning

Irish (Limerick Waterford and Cork): variant of Donovan .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Donivan, Dunavan, Dunavant, Dunagan, Donigan, Dunavin, Dunivan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Donavan family from?

You can see how Donavan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donavan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donavan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 50 Donavan families living in Ontario. This was about 37% of all the recorded Donavan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Donavan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donavan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Donavan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Donavan. 25% of Donavan men worked as a Farmer and 67% of Donavan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donavan were Laborer and Commis. .

View Census Data for Donavan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    25%
  • Labourer
    25%
  • Marchande
    17%
  • Laborer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    67%
  • Commis
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Donavan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 38,000 census records available for the last name Donavan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donavan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Donavan

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Donavan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Donavan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Donavan. For the veterans among your Donavan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donavan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donavan family history

Discover More

What is the average Donavan lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Donavan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Donavan in 1954 was 44, and 93 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donavan

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Donavan family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Donavan last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial