The first name Irving
A boy’s name meaning “fresh”, “river”.
Pronounced /ˈɝ.vɪŋ/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Irving means “fresh”, “river”.
Variant of the Scottish habitational surname Irvine, probably from a Celtic word cognate with Welsh ir, yr (“fresh”) + afon (“river”).
More names that mean river.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Irving last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2012, with 4 births (#3,987).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Irving with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Irving at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 90 boys born in the United States were named Irving, the 1,783rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 1,533 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Irving
55 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Irving LangmuirAmerican chemist and physicist (1881–1957)
- Irving BerlinAmerican composer and lyricist (1888–1989)
- Irving ThalbergAmerican film producer (1899-1936)
- Irving FisherAmerican economist and statistician (1867–1947)
- Irving StoneAmerican writer (1903–1989)
- Irving PennAmerican photographer and photojournalist (1917–2009)
- Irving CummingsActor, film director (1888–1959)
- Irving BaxterAmerican athletics competitor (born 1876)
- Irving KristolAmerican columnist, journalist, and writer (1920–2009)
- Irving WallaceAmerican writer (1916-1990)
- Irving PichelActor, film director (1891-1954)
- Chester Irving BarnardAmerican businessman (1886–1961)
Questions
- What does the name Irving mean?
- Irving means “fresh”, “river”.
- How popular is the name Irving?
- In 2024, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Irving, ranking 5,119th. Its peak was 2012, with 4 births.
- Is Irving a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 44,449 US babies named Irving since 1880 were boys.
- When was Irving most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 1,533 babies were named Irving, its highest rank at 108th.
- How do you pronounce Irving?
- Irving is /ˈɝ.vɪŋ/, 2 syllables.
- Is Irving also a surname?
- Yes. Irving is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.