Donivan Family Crest and Last Name Background

Many Donivan families will find their roots under Donovan, the form most records use. At root, the name means “Descendant of Donnabhán”.

Donivan and Donovan

The two spellings differ in a small detail: Donivan has “i” where Donovan has “o”. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written. Other spellings include Donavan, O'Donovan and Dunavan.

317 Americans were listed as Donivan in the 2010 census. That puts it among the top 100,000 US surnames.

Donivan coat of arms

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Donivan, so the heraldry linked to Donovan is a starting point, not an automatic right.

Research your Donivan family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.