Fun Facts About the Name Irving
- A favorite of earlier generations: Irving appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 3 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1914 through 1914.
- More than 44 thousand babies named Irving: U.S. records list 44,448 babies given the name Irving from 1880 through 2025. Even 85 girls received the name Irving - about 1 girl for every 522 boys.
What Does the Name Irving Mean?
Irving is an English masculine given name meaning 'green river' or 'fresh water.' It comes from the Scottish surname Irvine or Irving, a habitational name from the town of Irvine in Ayrshire, Scotland. The town is named after the River Irvine. The river name is usually explained as Brythonic, from *ir- ('green, fresh') and *afon ('river'). A competing explanation derives it from Gaelic iar ('west') and abhainn ('river'), meaning 'west river.' The Brythonic account is more commonly cited, but the older river name is not fully certain.
Irving Name History & Origins
The surname Irvine/Irving is Scottish. It comes from the place name Irvine in Ayrshire, which is recorded in medieval documents. The spelling Irving developed as one of several variants beside Irvine, Irvin, and Irwing. In 1323, Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Drum in Aberdeenshire to William de Irwyn; his descendants were known as the Irvings of Drum, an early documented family using the name. The surname later spread through Scotland and England.
As a given name, Irving is a surname-derived name used in the English-speaking world. It is found in the United States, Britain, and other English-speaking countries. The songwriter Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin) was one well-known bearer. The American author Washington Irving (1783 - 1859) carried Irving as a surname, not as a given name. The first-name use reflects the broader fashion for family surnames as given names rather than a biblical or classical source.
How Popular is the Name Irving?
Irving recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1918. Irving ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1911 through 1912, then returned in 1914 and remained through 1914.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | #3,486 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #3,036 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1927 | #4,042 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #5,206 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #3,844 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #5,432 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #4,159 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #3,819 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1921 | #5,476 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1920 | #4,169 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #5,169 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1917 | #4,919 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1915 | #4,587 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,783 | 90 | 0.0053% |
| 2024 | #1,617 | 105 | 0.0061% |
| 2023 | #1,719 | 97 | 0.0057% |
| 2022 | #1,657 | 104 | 0.0060% |
| 2021 | #1,731 | 94 | 0.0054% |
| 2020 | #1,699 | 92 | 0.0053% |
| 2019 | #1,456 | 120 | 0.0067% |
| 2018 | #1,423 | 123 | 0.0068% |
| 2017 | #1,287 | 141 | 0.0076% |
| 2016 | #1,307 | 139 | 0.0073% |
| 2015 | #1,605 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 2014 | #1,448 | 113 | 0.0059% |
| 2013 | #1,331 | 129 | 0.0068% |
| 2012 | #1,442 | 115 | 0.0061% |
| 2011 | #1,378 | 121 | 0.0064% |
| 2010 | #1,259 | 139 | 0.0072% |
| 2009 | #1,267 | 139 | 0.0070% |
| 2008 | #1,143 | 159 | 0.0078% |
| 2007 | #1,051 | 179 | 0.0086% |
| 2006 | #1,016 | 181 | 0.0088% |
| 2005 | #985 | 176 | 0.0088% |
| 2004 | #925 | 183 | 0.0092% |
| 2003 | #817 | 214 | 0.0108% |
| 2002 | #876 | 187 | 0.0096% |
| 2001 | #962 | 160 | 0.0082% |
| 2000 | #840 | 191 | 0.0097% |
| 1999 | #1,004 | 140 | 0.0073% |
| 1998 | #1,057 | 127 | 0.0066% |
| 1997 | #989 | 131 | 0.0069% |
| 1996 | #890 | 152 | 0.0080% |
| 1995 | #838 | 165 | 0.0087% |
| 1994 | #721 | 211 | 0.0109% |
| 1993 | #766 | 187 | 0.0095% |
| 1992 | #645 | 255 | 0.0128% |
| 1991 | #551 | 340 | 0.0168% |
| 1990 | #684 | 220 | 0.0107% |
| 1989 | #672 | 222 | 0.0111% |
| 1988 | #522 | 304 | 0.0159% |
| 1987 | #902 | 109 | 0.0058% |
| 1986 | #1,011 | 84 | 0.0046% |
| 1985 | #1,085 | 73 | 0.0039% |
| 1984 | #1,037 | 74 | 0.0041% |
| 1983 | #974 | 82 | 0.0046% |
| 1982 | #1,035 | 77 | 0.0042% |
| 1981 | #964 | 88 | 0.0049% |
| 1980 | #940 | 91 | 0.0051% |
| 1979 | #978 | 82 | 0.0048% |
| 1978 | #973 | 79 | 0.0048% |
| 1977 | #1,021 | 71 | 0.0043% |
| 1976 | #953 | 77 | 0.0049% |
| 1975 | #908 | 82 | 0.0053% |
| 1974 | #990 | 69 | 0.0044% |
| 1973 | #856 | 86 | 0.0055% |
| 1972 | #793 | 102 | 0.0063% |
| 1971 | #793 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 1970 | #715 | 132 | 0.0071% |
| 1969 | #733 | 114 | 0.0064% |
| 1968 | #681 | 122 | 0.0070% |
| 1967 | #649 | 133 | 0.0076% |
| 1966 | #674 | 121 | 0.0068% |
| 1965 | #706 | 111 | 0.0060% |
| 1964 | #658 | 139 | 0.0070% |
| 1963 | #623 | 158 | 0.0078% |
| 1962 | #597 | 170 | 0.0082% |
| 1961 | #558 | 197 | 0.0093% |
| 1960 | #558 | 201 | 0.0094% |
| 1959 | #591 | 174 | 0.0082% |
| 1958 | #534 | 207 | 0.0098% |
| 1957 | #511 | 228 | 0.0106% |
| 1956 | #512 | 219 | 0.0104% |
| 1955 | #469 | 247 | 0.0120% |
| 1954 | #461 | 248 | 0.0122% |
| 1953 | #458 | 243 | 0.0123% |
| 1952 | #443 | 253 | 0.0130% |
| 1951 | #403 | 286 | 0.0152% |
| 1950 | #391 | 298 | 0.0166% |
| 1949 | #400 | 283 | 0.0160% |
| 1948 | #398 | 290 | 0.0165% |
| 1947 | #384 | 320 | 0.0175% |
| 1946 | #392 | 277 | 0.0171% |
| 1945 | #364 | 266 | 0.0198% |
| 1944 | #369 | 267 | 0.0196% |
| 1943 | #340 | 325 | 0.0228% |
| 1942 | #355 | 296 | 0.0214% |
| 1941 | #328 | 317 | 0.0258% |
| 1940 | #335 | 292 | 0.0252% |
| 1939 | #310 | 322 | 0.0291% |
| 1938 | #305 | 322 | 0.0290% |
| 1937 | #292 | 338 | 0.0317% |
| 1936 | #293 | 340 | 0.0328% |
| 1935 | #288 | 353 | 0.0339% |
| 1934 | #264 | 422 | 0.0409% |
| 1933 | #260 | 408 | 0.0411% |
| 1932 | #237 | 508 | 0.0487% |
| 1931 | #215 | 583 | 0.0561% |
| 1930 | #207 | 643 | 0.0586% |
| 1929 | #185 | 754 | 0.0701% |
| 1928 | #166 | 879 | 0.0794% |
| 1927 | #155 | 1,021 | 0.0906% |
| 1926 | #144 | 1,159 | 0.1044% |
| 1925 | #141 | 1,174 | 0.1052% |
| 1924 | #137 | 1,260 | 0.1112% |
| 1923 | #124 | 1,384 | 0.1263% |
| 1922 | #124 | 1,365 | 0.1254% |
| 1921 | #124 | 1,417 | 0.1286% |
| 1920 | #116 | 1,485 | 0.1395% |
| 1919 | #111 | 1,440 | 0.1469% |
| 1918 | #108 | 1,533 | 0.1513% |
| 1917 | #106 | 1,470 | 0.1588% |
| 1916 | #109 | 1,373 | 0.1543% |
| 1915 | #107 | 1,385 | 0.1632% |
| 1914 | #100 | 1,156 | 0.1766% |
| 1913 | #104 | 862 | 0.1682% |
| 1912 | #94 | 815 | 0.1896% |
| 1911 | #93 | 431 | 0.1907% |
| 1910 | #118 | 272 | 0.1401% |
| 1909 | #134 | 202 | 0.1232% |
| 1908 | #114 | 225 | 0.1458% |
| 1907 | #124 | 196 | 0.1335% |
| 1906 | #125 | 170 | 0.1277% |
| 1905 | #142 | 148 | 0.1119% |
| 1904 | #133 | 159 | 0.1241% |
| 1903 | #149 | 125 | 0.1048% |
| 1902 | #168 | 104 | 0.0848% |
| 1901 | #181 | 80 | 0.0751% |
| 1900 | #185 | 115 | 0.0764% |
| 1899 | #158 | 95 | 0.0894% |
| 1898 | #150 | 113 | 0.0921% |
| 1897 | #158 | 98 | 0.0869% |
| 1896 | #188 | 87 | 0.0728% |
| 1895 | #140 | 110 | 0.0937% |
| 1894 | #151 | 102 | 0.0881% |
| 1893 | #155 | 95 | 0.0846% |
| 1892 | #229 | 59 | 0.0483% |
| 1891 | #173 | 75 | 0.0741% |
| 1890 | #193 | 69 | 0.0621% |
| 1889 | #201 | 65 | 0.0588% |
| 1888 | #170 | 89 | 0.0736% |
| 1887 | #208 | 55 | 0.0542% |
| 1886 | #219 | 60 | 0.0542% |
| 1885 | #170 | 78 | 0.0724% |
| 1884 | #176 | 80 | 0.0699% |
| 1883 | #233 | 46 | 0.0440% |
| 1882 | #208 | 61 | 0.0537% |
| 1881 | #192 | 60 | 0.0596% |
| 1880 | #203 | 60 | 0.0543% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Irving
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Irving Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Irving's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Irving's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.