Donovan Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Donovan mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
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Origin of the Donovan name
Donovan anglicises Ó Donnabháin, "descendant of Donnabhán", a personal name based on donn, "brown". The family first held lands in County Limerick and moved south to west Cork in the thirteenth century, where it settled in Carbery. Donovan and O'Donovan are still most common in Cork.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Donovan name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Donovan name in Ireland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, England and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Donovan family history
Your full Donovan pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Donovan coat of arms for you.
Donovan name FAQ
What does the Donovan name mean?
Descendant of Donnabhán. Common variants include O'Donovan, Donavan, Dunavan.
Where does the Donovan surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Donovan coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Donovan crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Donovan coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.