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Erving
How to Pronounce Erving
Pronounced UR-ving /ˈɜr.vɪŋ/Medium
Meaning: Erving is a variant spelling of Irving, a Scottish surname and place name usually explained from words for 'green water' or 'green river.' Irving became a first name partly through the writer Washington Irving; Erving is a spelled-as-heard form. The meaning follows Irving.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Erving is a variant of Irving, a Scottish surname and place name generally read as 'green water' or 'green river.' Irving spread as a first name in the 1800s, helped by the author Washington Irving; the Erving spelling followed. It appears in United States records from the 1880s with a small high around 1921, and was never common - given to only about two dozen boys a year.
A boy named Erving at its 1920s high would be a great-great-grandfather today; the name reads as dignified early-twentieth-century Americana. Two even beats give it a settled, professional sound. The Irving spelling carried the name; Erving has not revived, though the surname later became famous through basketball's Julius Erving.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Erving mean?
It is a variant of Irving, a Scottish surname and place name meaning 'green water' or 'green river.'
How do you pronounce Erving?
It's said UR-ving /ˈɜr.vɪŋ/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Erving a boy or girl name?
Erving is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Erving?
It has always been rare, an early-twentieth-century name given to only about two dozen boys a year and long since faded.