Boy · #814 in 2026

Alvin

Alvin is a male given name in several cultures.

Current Rank
#814
Peak Rank
#66 (1927)
Total Babies
162K
5-Yr Trend
-15%
1908
First Year
1994
Last Year
1929
Peak Year
#1393
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
82
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Alvin

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Alvin is a male given name in several cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Alvin was introduced in the 19th century based on surnames that were in turn derived from the Old English names Æthelwine and Ealdwine. The names mean "noble friend" and "old friend" respectively. The corresponding German name is Alwin , which continues the Old High German names Albwin and Adalwin .

The Story of Alvin

Alvin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 102 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 2,883 Alvins were born — ranking #66 that year. As of 2026, Alvin ranks #814 for baby boys with 311 births, falling sharply (-15%). In total, more than 162K Alvins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Alvin

Phonetically similar names — useful when Alvin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Alvin

What does the name Alvin mean?
Alvin is a male given name in several cultures.
How popular is Alvin in 2026?
In 2026, Alvin ranks #814 among boys' names in the U.S., with 311 babies given the name that year.
When was Alvin most popular?
Alvin reached its peak popularity in 1927, ranking #66 that year with 2,883 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Alvin most popular?
Alvin has historically been most popular in North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Alvin.
Is Alvin a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Alvin is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Alvin?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Alvin include Jesus, Easton, Rowan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Alvin

Alvin is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 162K births in the dataset. Alvin's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #66. Use the chart and map above to compare Alvin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.