Origins of the Donovan surname

About the Donovans

We have a total of 106536 records for people with the last name Donovan.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Donovans.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Donovan family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 49North West 62Isle of Man 1Yorkshire 92East Midlands 19West Midlands 70East 278London 2206South East 860South West 970South Wales 233Mid Wales 31West Wales 1North Wales 9Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Donovans lived in london

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    60,000 Donovan Travel & migration records
    45,000 Donovans found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Donovan

    How common is your surname?

    847th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Donovan surname. The oldest one dates back to 1575.

    Who were Donovans most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Donovans.

    What are the most common Donovan first names?

    John

    James

    Mary

    Ellen

    Our tell us the names of Donovan family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Donovans

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Common female occupations for Donovans in 1921

    Laundress

    264

    Charwoman

    234

    Servant

    164

    Domestic Servant

    154

    Tailoress

    148

    Common male occupations for Donovans in 1921

    General Labourer

    514

    Dock Labourer

    303

    Tailor

    229

    Laborer

    220

    Carman

    116

    We found over 44,000 family trees with the Donovan surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Donovans.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Donovan family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname