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Name Lineage

    The first name Irwin

    A boy’s name meaning “boar”, “friend”.

    Pronounced /ˈɝwɪn/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Irwin means “boar”, “friend”.

    From a medieval given name Erwin, from Eoforwine, from Old English eofor (“boar”) + wine (“friend”), the latter of which is from Proto-West Germanic *wini.

    More names that mean friend.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Irwin last appeared in the official list in 2009, given to 3 boys.

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    3
    babies named Irwin, 1996–2025
    #4,527
    rank in 2009
    2009
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Irwin with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Irwin at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 13 boys born in the United States were named Irwin, the 6,600th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1925, when 527 were.

    0300600 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    15,958
    babies named Irwin since 1880
    #6,600
    rank in 2025
    1925
    peak year

    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Irwin

    23 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Irwin Rose
      American biologist (1926-2015)
    • Irwin Shaw
      American writer (1913–1984)
    • Irwin Keyes
      American character actor (1952-2015)
    • Irwin Allen
      Film producer (1916-1991)
    • Irwin Winkler
      American motion picture producer, motion picture director, screenwriter, born 1931
    • Irwin Corey
      American comedian and actor (1914–2017)
    • Irwin M. Jacobs
      American electrical engineer and philanthropist, born 1933
    • Irwin I. Shapiro
      American astrophysicist, born 1929
    • Irwin Kostal
      American musical arranger of films (1911–1994)
    • Irwin Cotler
      Canadian politician, born 1940
    • Irwin Hoffman
      American conductor (1924-2018)
    • Irwin Fridovich
      American biochemist (1929–2019)

    Questions

    What does the name Irwin mean?
    Irwin means “boar”, “friend”.
    How popular is the name Irwin?
    In 2009, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Irwin, ranking 4,527th.
    Is Irwin a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 15,958 US babies named Irwin since 1880 were boys.
    When was Irwin most popular?
    1925 in the United States, when 527 babies were named Irwin, its highest rank at 247th.
    How do you pronounce Irwin?
    Irwin is /ˈɝwɪn/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Irwin?
    Erwin.
    Is Irwin also a surname?
    Yes. Irwin is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.