Irving
Variant of the Scottish habitational surname Irvine, probably from a Celtic word cognate with Welsh ir, yr (“fresh”) + afon (“river”).
Every Irving since 1880 — 44,449 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Irving
Irving is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,783 in 2025 with 90 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 44,449 American babies have been named Irving. Its peak came in 1918, when 1,538 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Irving stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Irving year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 90 | #1,783 |
| 2024 | — | — | 105 | #1,624 |
| 2023 | — | — | 97 | #1,721 |
| 2022 | — | — | 104 | #1,659 |
| 2021 | — | — | 94 | #1,731 |
| 2020 | — | — | 92 | #1,699 |
| 2019 | — | — | 120 | #1,456 |
| 2018 | — | — | 123 | #1,423 |
| 2017 | — | — | 141 | #1,287 |
| 2016 | — | — | 139 | #1,308 |
| 2015 | — | — | 100 | #1,605 |
| 2014 | — | — | 113 | #1,448 |
| 2013 | — | — | 129 | #1,332 |
| 2012 | — | — | 115 | #1,442 |
| 2011 | — | — | 121 | #1,379 |
| 2010 | — | — | 139 | #1,259 |
| 2009 | — | — | 139 | #1,267 |
| 2008 | — | — | 159 | #1,143 |
| 2007 | — | — | 179 | #1,051 |
| 2006 | — | — | 181 | #1,018 |
| 2005 | — | — | 177 | #981 |
| 2004 | — | — | 183 | #925 |
| 2003 | — | — | 214 | #817 |
| 2002 | — | — | 187 | #876 |
| 2001 | — | — | 160 | #962 |
| 2000 | — | — | 191 | #840 |
| 1995 | — | — | 165 | #838 |
| 1990 | — | — | 220 | #684 |
| 1985 | — | — | 73 | #1,085 |
| 1980 | — | — | 91 | #940 |
| 1975 | — | — | 82 | #908 |
| 1970 | — | — | 132 | #715 |
| 1965 | — | — | 111 | #706 |
| 1960 | — | — | 201 | #558 |
| 1955 | — | — | 248 | #469 |
| 1950 | — | — | 298 | #391 |
| 1945 | — | — | 266 | #364 |
| 1940 | — | — | 292 | #335 |
| 1935 | — | — | 353 | #288 |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,486 | 643 | #207 |
| 1925 | 8 | #3,844 | 1,174 | #141 |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,169 | 1,485 | #116 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,587 | 1,385 | #107 |
| 1910 | — | — | 272 | #118 |
| 1905 | — | — | 148 | #142 |
| 1900 | — | — | 115 | #185 |
| 1895 | — | — | 110 | #140 |
| 1890 | — | — | 69 | #193 |
| 1885 | — | — | 78 | #170 |
| 1880 | — | — | 60 | #203 |
Famous people named Irving
- Irving Langmuir Chemist · 1881–1957
- Irving Fisher Economist · 1867–1947
- Irving Stone Writer · 1903–1989
- Irving Berlin Composer · 1888–1989
- Irving Penn Photographer · 1917–2009
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Irving mean?
Variant of the Scottish habitational surname Irvine, probably from a Celtic word cognate with Welsh ir, yr (“fresh”) + afon (“river”).
How popular is the name Irving in 2025?
Irving ranked #1,783 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 90 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Irving?
44,449 babies have been named Irving in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Irving most popular?
Irving peaked in 1918, when 1,538 newborns received the name.
Is Irving a boy or girl name?
Irving is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Irving rising or falling?
Irving has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Irving?
Well-known people named Irving include Irving Langmuir (chemist), Irving Fisher (economist), Irving Stone (writer).