Boy · #1,923 in 2026

Ervin

Name: Popularity of the name Ervin in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Ervin, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Ervin is a male given name of Indo-European origin, meaning "green water," "fresh water," "friend of the sea," or "army friend." It is believed to have either originated from Old English or Old Gaelic, referring to its water-related meanings, or from the German language, where it signifies "friend of the army."

Current Rank

#1,923

Peak Rank

#163 (1921)

Total Babies

39K

5-Yr Trend

-12%

1914

First Year

1990

Last Year

1920

Peak Year

#3340

Peak Rank

138

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ervin

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

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

The Story of Ervin

Ervin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 30 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 859 Ervins were born — ranking #172 that year. As of 2026, Ervin ranks #1,923 for baby boys with 83 births, gradually falling (-12%). In total, more than 39K Ervins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Ervin

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ervin 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 Ervin

What does the name Ervin mean?

How popular is Ervin in 2026?

In 2026, Ervin ranks #1,923 among boys' names in the U.S., with 83 babies given the name that year.

When was Ervin most popular?

Ervin reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #163 that year with 859 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Ervin most popular?

Ervin has historically been most popular in Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ervin.

Is Ervin a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Ervin is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Ervin?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ervin include Harley, Carroll, Wilfred. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ervin

Ervin is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 39K births in the dataset. Ervin's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #163. Use the chart and map above to compare Ervin'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.