NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Irvin

A masculine name derived from the Scottish surname Irving, meaning "green river".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Irvin is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Irvin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 5 births.

This profile covers 24 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

Irvin is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 30 living people in the UK are called Irvin. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Irvin ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 5 boys were registered as Irvin.
  • Irvin ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #626 in 2009.
  • About 30 living people in the UK are estimated to have Irvin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3688

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2024

5 births

Estimated living

30

2026

Meaning

What does Irvin mean?

The name Irvin originated from the Scottish Gaelic name Airbeann, which means "green river" or "green valley". It's derived from the Gaelic elements "air" meaning green and "benn" meaning mountain or peak. The name was first used in the Highlands of Scotland during the Middle Ages.

In ancient Scottish folklore, Irvin was the name of a legendary warrior who fought against Viking invaders. This mythical figure is mentioned in several old Gaelic ballads and oral traditions passed down through generations of Highland clans.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Irvin dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle. It referred to Airbeann mac Gillespic, a Scottish chieftain who led his clan in battles against rival clans.

One of the most notable historical figures with the name Irvin was Irvin McDowell (1818-1885), a Union Army general during the American Civil War. He commanded the Army of Northeastern Virginia and fought in the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861.

Another famous Irvin was Irvin S. Cobb (1876-1944), an American author, humorist, and columnist. He is best known for his short stories and humorous writings about life in the Southern United States.

Irvin D. Yalom (born 1931) is a renowned American existential psychotherapist and author. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the field of existential psychotherapy and has written several influential books on the subject.

Irvin Kershner (1923-2010) was an American film director best known for directing the Star Wars film "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), which is widely considered one of the best films in the Star Wars franchise.

Irvin Feld (1909-1984) was an American businessman and the founder of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He played a significant role in popularizing and modernizing the circus industry in the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Irvin over time

The chart below shows babies named Irvin registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Irvin, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Irvin
01345200420142024

Decades

Irvin by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Irvin was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3688 5 1
2010s #4697 6 2
2000s #3957 13 4

Geography

Where Irvin is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Irvin. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Irvin ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #626 in 2009.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Irvin in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#626 in 2009

2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Irvin

  • Irvin Duguid

    pianist

    British musician

    1969-

  • Irvin Gernon

    association football player

    Footballer (born 1962)

    1962-

Related

Names similar to Irvin

FAQ

Irvin: questions and answers

How popular is the name Irvin in the UK right now?

In 2024, Irvin was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Irvin most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 5 babies registered as Irvin in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Irvin?

A masculine name derived from the Scottish surname Irving, meaning "green river".

How many people are called Irvin in the UK?

A total of 24 babies have been registered as Irvin across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Irvin most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Irvin ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #626 in 2009. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.