| Nolan | Donovan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Champion | dark brown-haired |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NOH-lun | DON-oh-vuhn |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1881 | 1900 |
| Peak year | 2015 (5,739) | 2003 (2,211) |
| In 2025 | 4,846 | 609 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nolan | Donovan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 30,357 | 4,115 |
| 2010s | 50,045 | 12,289 |
| 2000s | 26,374 | 19,329 |
| 1990s | 11,791 | 12,239 |
| 1980s | 4,678 | 4,553 |
| 1970s | 2,006 | 3,750 |
| 1960s | 1,494 | 1,813 |
| 1950s | 1,960 | 876 |
| 1940s | 2,003 | 717 |
| 1930s | 1,822 | 866 |
| 1920s | 1,674 | 719 |
| 1910s | 1,021 | 335 |
| 1900s | 174 | 83 |
| 1890s | 75 | 0 |
| 1880s | 31 | 0 |
Nolan comes from the Irish Ó Nualláin, linked to “champion” or “noble.”
Anglicized from Irish O Donndubhain, from 'donn' meaning 'brown' and 'dubh' meaning 'black, dark' — commonly rendered 'dark brown-haired' or 'dark-haired chieftain'.
Nolan is more popular than Donovan today: about 4,846 US babies were given the name Nolan in 2025, compared with 609 named Donovan.
Nolan means Champion (Irish origin), while Donovan means dark brown-haired (irish origin).
In US records, Nolan first appears in 1881 and Donovan in 1900, so Nolan has the longer recorded history.