Familiar in the US since the 1900s, Donovan is a tough, earthy choice — somehow managing to feel both smooth and jaunty. As a given name it took off in the late 60s and 70s, likely thanks to the Scottish musician Donovan Leitch, known for blending folk, jazz, and pop in his hit songs Mellow Yellow, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Catch the Wind.
Currently ranking at #495 in the US, it is down from its peak in 2003, but for those looking for a name that’s familiar but not oversaturated, this might make it a great choice! With retro nicknames Donny, Danny, and Don, along with contemporary feeling options like Van, Dove, Nova, and Danny, Donovan still feels cool, musical, and outdoorsy.
![An advert for the Nameberry App, which is available for iPhone. The advert has a pink background and an image of a phone screen on the right, displaying the app and the name Clementine. To the left is a list of features of the app which read "swipe through thousands of names with you partner; Get personalized recommendations based on you are your partner's preference; Partner with friends and family to find names you like; Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data about name preferences](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JqKT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe8975bbf-9d08-4910-ac80-837cbbc17ce7_1652x1148.png "An advert for the Nameberry App, which is available for iPhone. The advert has a pink background and an image of a phone screen on the right, displaying the app and the name Clementine. To the left is a list of features of the app which read "swipe through thousands of names with you partner; Get personalized recommendations based on you are your partner's preference; Partner with friends and family to find names you like; Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data about name preferences")
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.