Donovan Family History

Donovan Surname Meaning

Irish (Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Donndubháin ‘descendant of Donndubhán’ a personal name composed of the elements donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’.

The name is further enriched by the element dubh ‘black’ which adds depth to its meaning.

Additionally, the diminutive suffix -án signifies a smaller or affectionate form of the base name.

This name illustrates the combination of physical characteristics and leadership qualities inherent in Gaelic naming traditions.

Overall, Ó Donndubháin embodies a rich cultural heritage rooted in Ireland's history.

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

Similar surnames: Donivan, Monohan, Donavan, Genova, Sonoda, Monahan, Provan, Govan, Honan, Novak

491K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
62K	Military Records
75K	Immigration Records
361K	Census and Voter Lists
312K	Member Trees

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

Where is the Donovan family from?

You can see how Donovan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donovan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donovan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 390 Donovan families living in Ontario. This was about 41% of all the recorded Donovan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Donovan families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donovan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Donovan

What did your Donovan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Donovan. 32% of Donovan men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Donovan women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Donovan were Clerk and Teacher.

View Census Data for Donovan

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.

Farmer

32%

Labourer

11%

Laborer

Clerk

Income

13%

Stenographer

12%

Clerk

Teacher

What Donovan family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 361K census records available for the last name Donovan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donovan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Donovan

Passenger List

There are 75K immigration records available for the last name Donovan. 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 Donovan immigration records

Military Records

There are 62K military records available for the last name Donovan. For the veterans among your Donovan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Donovan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donovan family history

Discover More

What is the average Donovan lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Donovan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Donovan in 1942 was 59, and 75 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Donovan family tree

Explore Your Tree

Search for another surname

Donovan Surname Meaning

Irish (Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Donndubháin ‘descendant of Donndubhán’ a personal name composed of the elements donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’.

The name is further enriched by the element dubh ‘black’ which adds depth to its meaning.

Additionally, the diminutive suffix -án signifies a smaller or affectionate form of the base name.

This name illustrates the combination of physical characteristics and leadership qualities inherent in Gaelic naming traditions.

Overall, Ó Donndubháin embodies a rich cultural heritage rooted in Ireland's history.

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

Where is the Donovan family from?

What did your Donovan ancestors do for a living?

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.

Farmer

32%

Labourer

11%

Laborer

Clerk

Income

13%

Stenographer

12%

Clerk

Teacher

What Donovan family records will you find?

What is the average Donovan lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Donovan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Donovan in 1942 was 59, and 75 in 2004.

Donovan Family History

Donovan Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Donovan

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

Where is the Donovan family from?

What did your Donovan ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Donovan family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Donovan family history

What is the average Donovan lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Donovan family tree

Search for another surname

Donovan Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Donovan

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

Where is the Donovan family from?

What did your Donovan ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Donovan family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Donovan family history

What is the average Donovan lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Donovan family tree

Search for another surname