Irving
Irving was the 1783rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 90 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 93rd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,533). Over the last ten years it has moved down 178 places. More babies were named Irving in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning from the River Irvine; perhaps "fresh river" · Scottish, Celtic
Say it UR-ving /ˈɝvɪŋ/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,783 boys, down 84 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 90boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19181,533 babies
- Total since 1880
- 44,449babies recorded
What does the name Irving mean?
Irving is a Scottish surname, a variant of Irvine, from places named after the River Irvine. Wiktionary suggests the river name is Celtic, probably related to Welsh words for "fresh" and "river", but this is not certain. As a first name it is mainly American; Wiktionary notes that English-speaking Jewish families often used it as an anglicized form of Israel. Irving was most common in the US in the 1910s.
Irvine (Scottish, “river and place-name”)ir + afon (Welsh, “fresh + river (suggested cognates)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The river name's meaning is only tentatively explained.
Related names: Irvine, Irvin, Ervin, Irv.
See also: Scottish names, names that mean water, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Irving', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Irving (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Irving
The usual nicknames for Irving are Irv.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irv | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Irvings go by each one.
Irving popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 85 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,783 | 90 |
| 2020 | #1,699 | 92 |
| 2010 | #1,259 | 139 |
| 2000 | #840 | 191 |
| 1990 | #684 | 220 |
| 1980 | #940 | 91 |
| 1970 | #715 | 132 |
| 1960 | #558 | 201 |
| 1950 | #391 | 298 |
| 1940 | #335 | 292 |
| 1930 | #207 | 643 |
| 1920 | #116 | 1,485 |
| 1910 | #118 | 272 |
| 1900 | #185 | 115 |
| 1890 | #193 | 69 |
| 1880 | #203 | 60 |
How popular is Irving, counting every spelling?
Irving has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Irving?
90 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Irving (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Irving born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 93 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Irving.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Irving?
About 11,800 people born in the US named Irving are alive today, with a median age of 39; half are between 23 and 69. That makes Irving mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Irving by state
How common Irving was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.8×), Texas (1.6×). In 41 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Irving: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Irving, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Irving · Sibling names for Irving
Questions about the name Irving
What does Irving mean?
Irving is usually explained as “from the River Irvine; perhaps "fresh river"”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Irving?
Irving was the 1783rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 90 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 93rd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,533). Over the last ten years it has moved down 178 places. More babies were named Irving in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Irving a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Irving in the US.
Where is Irving most popular?
In 2021–2025, Irving was most common in California (0.10 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and Arizona.