Total births
61,684
Boys' name · since 1900
Donovan
Since 1900, U.S. Social Security records show 61,684 babies named Donovan, peaking in 2003. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #506
- among boys today
- 61,684
- born since 1900
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Donovan currently ranks #506 among boys' names in America, with 61,684 babies recorded since 1900.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Donovan has been recorded 61,684 times among boys since 1900, currently ranked #506 nationally and more common than 96% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1900 to 2025.
- #506 among boys today
- 61,684 born since 1900
- 2000s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Donovan is currently the #506 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 61,684 born since 1900, peaking in the 2000s.
- #506
- among boys today
- 61,684
- born since 1900
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Donovan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#506
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Donovan was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
2,211 babies were named Donovan in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Donovan compares
61,684 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Donovan's all-time total is 168x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Donovan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 61,684 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,211 | 23 | 22,252 |
Donovan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Donovan's full recorded timeline at 1963, 94% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 6% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1908, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2003 peak of 2,211 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Donovan at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2003
Current rank
#506
Active since
1900
Donovan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1900–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 2,211
- Annual births at peak, across 126 years of records
Donovan popularity over time - girls
220 total births recorded since 1969 (Donovan as girls' name)
Donovan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Donovan's strongest decade.
19,329 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Donovan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 83
1900s
83 births
- 1910s 335
1910s
335 births
- 1920s 719
1920s
719 births
- 1930s 866
1930s
866 births
- 1940s 717
1940s
717 births
- 1950s 876
1950s
876 births
- 1960s 1,813
1960s
1,813 births
- 1970s 3,750
1970s
3,750 births
- 1980s 4,553
1980s
4,553 births
- 1990s
1990s
12,239 births
- 2000s
2000s
19,329 births
- 2010s
2010s
12,289 births
- 2020s 4,115
2020s
4,115 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 19,329 births (31% of all-time use).
How Donovan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Donovan's total volume
Donovan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Donovan by state
Where Donovan concentrates geographically, total births since 1900
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 8,238 | 13.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,637 | 7.5% |
| #3 | Florida | | 3,027 | 4.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 2,924 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 2,574 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 2,547 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 2,304 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 1,847 | 3.0% |
California share of Donovan's total US births 13.4%
Even split
8,238 of 61,684 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Donovan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Donovan? ▼
Since 1900, Social Security records show 61,684 babies named Donovan. Today it holds rank #506 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2003, with 2,211 births.
When was Donovan most popular? ▼
Donovan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 19,329 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
Where is Donovan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Donovan are California (8,238 births), Texas (4,637 births), Florida (3,027 births).
How long has the name Donovan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Donovan since 1900 -- 126 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Donovan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Donald, Don, Donnie, Donte, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Donovan's data
- Donovan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (19,329 total births); usage has since declined to 4,115 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Donovans (8,238 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Donovan
Nearby Names Like Donovan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Donovan
Donald Boy
#673 1,414,824 births
Don Boy
#1776 167,632 births
Donnie Boy
#1769 60,928 births
Donte Boy
#1964 15,695 births
Donnell Boy
#4589 14,279 births
Compare Donovan side by side: Donovan vs Donald Donovan vs Don Donovan vs Donnie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Donovan
Azariah #505
6,558 births · Peak 2025
Elio #507
5,174 births · Peak 2025
Ruben #504
116,552 births · Peak 1992
Lawrence #508
461,170 births · Peak 1952
Kaizen #503
3,039 births · Peak 2025
Ariel #509
21,968 births · Peak 1991
Ledger #502
4,970 births · Peak 2024
Leonidas #510
10,281 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1900–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Donovan: #506 Boys' Name - 61,684 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/donovan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Donovan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.