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Home › Baby Names Directory › Irving

Irving

♂ Boy

Pronounced UR-ving /ˈɜɹ.vɪŋ/Medium

Meaning: From the Scottish place name Irvine/Irving, from a Brythonic river name meaning 'green or fresh water'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Irving comes from the Scottish place name Irvine, from a Brythonic river name meaning green or fresh water. It is a place turned surname turned first name.
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Origin MediumScottish, English
MeaningFrom the Scottish place name Irvine/Irving, from a Brythonic river name meaning 'green or fresh water'.
U.S. rank (2025)#1783 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births90 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1918
Total births (all-time)≈ 44,363

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191818802025

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

Irving traces to the Scottish locality of Irvine or Irving, whose name comes from an old Brythonic river word meaning green or fresh water. From the place came a surname, and from the surname a given name. The watery, green sense links it to the Scottish landscape it sprang from.

Its best-known bearer is Irving Berlin, the American composer of 'White Christmas' and 'God Bless America', which gives the name a warm musical and Americana association. The soft -ing ending lends it a gentle, old-fashioned charm.

Did you know? Irving likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Irving — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
    American composer and lyricist regarded as one of the greatest songwriters in U.S. history, writing 'White Christmas' and 'God Bless America'.

If you like Irving…

Channing— shares Irving's English roots
Blessing— a fellow English choice
Kyng— a similarly popular pick
Irvin— a similarly popular pick
Izaac— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Irving

By themeenglishsurname-stylejewish
By meaningSea / Water

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Irving mean?

Irving is usually explained as meaning 'green water' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Irving?

It's commonly said UR-ving /ˈɜɹ.vɪŋ/.

Is Irving a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Irving is used as a boy name.

How popular is Irving?

In 2024, Irving ranked #1617 in the U.S. for boys, with 105 births recorded.

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