| Donovan | Finn | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark brown-haired | Fair, white |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DON-oh-vuhn | FIN |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1900 | 1918 |
| Peak year | 2003 (2,211) | 2017 (2,382) |
| In 2025 | 609 | 1,702 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Donovan | Finn |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,115 | 11,805 |
| 2010s | 12,289 | 17,597 |
| 2000s | 19,329 | 4,917 |
| 1990s | 12,239 | 405 |
| 1980s | 4,553 | 59 |
| 1970s | 3,750 | 33 |
| 1960s | 1,813 | 82 |
| 1950s | 876 | 30 |
| 1940s | 717 | 0 |
| 1930s | 866 | 6 |
| 1920s | 719 | 5 |
| 1910s | 335 | 10 |
| 1900s | 83 | 0 |
Anglicized from Irish O Donndubhain, from 'donn' meaning 'brown' and 'dubh' meaning 'black, dark' — commonly rendered 'dark brown-haired' or 'dark-haired chieftain'.
From the Irish Fionn, “fair” or “white.” Fionn mac Cumhaill leads the warriors of Irish legend.
Finn is more popular than Donovan today: about 1,702 US babies were given the name Finn in 2025, compared with 609 named Donovan.
Donovan means dark brown-haired (irish origin), while Finn means Fair, white (Irish origin).
In US records, Donovan first appears in 1900 and Finn in 1918, so Donovan has the longer recorded history.