Donovan surname meaning

Donovan is an Irish surname, especially associated with County Cork, from Gaelic Ó Donndubháin, “descendant of Donndubhán.” The personal name joins donn (“brown-haired” or “chieftain”) and dubh (“black”) with the diminutive -án. O'Donovan preserves the prefix; Donavan and Donovon are common American spellings. Medieval tradition ties the Munster O'Donovans to Uí Cairbre and later settlement in southwest Cork. Parent’s name is high confidence: the surname is a straightforward patronymic from a well-documented Gaelic personal name, not a place or trade.