Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1927

Alvin

Meaning elf Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #838 Trend ↓ Falling 15%

From Old English Ælfwine, made up of ælf (“elf”) +‎ wine (“friend”).

Rank 2025
#838
among boys · ↓47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
294
named Alvin · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 5,810
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1927
2,908 babies
All-time total
162,512
#210 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Alvin popularity over time

162,512 babies have been named Alvin since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 1,256 1,256 126 – #106
1890s – 1,667 1,667 167 +33% #97
1900s 5 2,484 2,489 249 +49% #82
1910s 128 15,499 15,627 1,563 +528% #76
1920s 218 26,872 27,090 2,709 +73% #66
1930s 152 21,484 21,636 2,164 -20% #79
1940s 116 20,719 20,835 2,084 -4% #106
1950s 163 23,087 23,250 2,325 +12% #121
1960s 120 14,509 14,629 1,463 -37% #166
1970s 90 8,677 8,767 877 -40% #223
1980s 87 7,474 7,561 756 -14% #254
1990s 19 5,908 5,927 593 -22% #331
2000s – 5,240 5,240 524 -12% #436
2010s – 4,535 4,535 454 -13% #521
2020s (to 2025) – 2,003 2,003 334 -26% #682

Where Alvin is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 286 0.17 outside top 500
2027 279 0.16 outside top 500
2028 274 0.16 outside top 500
2029 269 0.16 outside top 500
2030 266 0.16 outside top 500

Where Alvin is most popular

Boys named Alvin per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.188 per 1,000. Strongest in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Alvin born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Pennsylvania 125 0.471 +150%
Utah 37 0.388 +106%
Wisconsin 40 0.338 +79%
New York 138 0.319 +69%
Massachusetts 39 0.284 +51%
Iowa 19 0.276 +46%
Idaho 11 0.269 +43%
Missouri 37 0.267 +42%
Washington 43 0.263 +40%
California 229 0.251 +33%
Indiana 40 0.249 +33%
Kentucky 25 0.249 +32%
Michigan 49 0.239 +27%
Georgia 55 0.217 +15%
Ohio 54 0.204 +8%
Minnesota 24 0.196 ≈ national
Louisiana 19 0.186 ≈ national
Maryland 21 0.176 -6%
New Jersey 35 0.174 -8%
Illinois 38 0.149 -21%
Arizona 24 0.147 -22%
Virginia 27 0.142 -24%
Texas 125 0.142 -25%
Tennessee 22 0.122 -35%
Florida 54 0.114 -39%
North Carolina 29 0.114 -40%
Kansas 6 0.087 -54%
Connecticut 5 0.074 -61%
Oregon 5 0.066 -65%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -70%
Alabama 6 0.055 -71%
Colorado 5 0.039 -79%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Alvin

Alvin is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #838 in 2025 with 294 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 162,512 American babies have been named Alvin. Its peak came in 1927, when 2,908 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Alvin stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Alvin?

The median living Alvin is about 61 years old; half are between 38 and 73. An estimated 76 thousand people named Alvin are alive in the United States today.

median 61 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Alvin year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 294 #838
2024 – – 318 #791
2023 – – 337 #765
2022 – – 352 #737
2021 – – 325 #770
2020 – – 377 #682
2019 – – 399 #663
2018 – – 390 #655
2017 – – 439 #603
2016 – – 471 #585
2015 – – 455 #601
2014 – – 462 #595
2013 – – 458 #570
2012 – – 505 #521
2011 – – 464 #548
2010 – – 492 #526
2009 – – 471 #562
2008 – – 658 #436
2007 – – 522 #505
2006 – – 516 #503
2005 – – 516 #483
2004 – – 484 #505
2003 – – 477 #510
2002 – – 533 #457
2001 – – 541 #447
2000 – – 522 #456
1995 – – 548 #415
1990 – – 749 #331
1985 13 #5,363 705 #291
1980 8 #7,440 868 #254
1975 7 #7,192 856 #240
1970 17 #3,584 1,087 #223
1965 11 #3,957 1,328 #190
1960 10 #4,193 1,995 #166
1955 18 #2,637 2,360 #134
1950 17 #2,440 2,269 #121
1945 11 #2,746 1,861 #120
1940 12 #2,425 1,911 #106
1935 15 #2,100 2,165 #91
1930 24 #1,611 2,512 #79
1925 19 #2,021 2,777 #70
1920 22 #1,818 2,523 #76
1915 11 #2,542 2,006 #81
1910 – – 401 #85
1905 – – 258 #92
1900 – – 223 #105
1895 – – 179 #103
1890 – – 147 #112
1885 – – 125 #111
1880 – – 102 #132

Famous people named Alvin

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Alvin York Alvin York American soldier (1887–1964) 19th century
  2. 2 Alvin Lee Alvin Lee English singer, songwriter, and guitarist (1944–2013) Contemporary
  3. 3 Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey American dancer and activist (1931–1989) Contemporary
  4. 4 Alvin Plantinga Alvin Plantinga American philosopher and theologian (born 1932) Contemporary
  5. 5 Alvin Robertson Alvin Robertson American basketball player (born 1962) Contemporary
  6. 6 Alvin Toffler Alvin Toffler American writer, futurist and businessman 1928–2016 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Alvin Sargent Alvin Sargent American screenwriter (1927–2019) Contemporary
  8. 8 Alvin Martin Alvin Martin English footballer (born 1958) Contemporary
  9. 9 Alvin E. Roth Alvin E. Roth American economist (born 1951) Contemporary
  10. 10 Alvin M. Weinberg Alvin M. Weinberg American nuclear physicist (1915–2006) Contemporary
  11. 11 Alvin Langdon Coburn Alvin Langdon Coburn American photographer (1882–1966) 19th century
  12. 12 Alvin Drew Alvin Drew American astronaut b. 1962 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Alvin Hansen Alvin Hansen American economist 1887–1975 · 19th century
  14. 14 Alvin Kraenzlein Alvin Kraenzlein American track-and-field athlete (1876–1928) 19th century
  15. 15 Alvin Harrison American track and field athlete (born 1974) Contemporary
  16. 16 Alvin Tehau Alvin Tehau Tahitian footballer (born 1989) Contemporary
  17. 17 Alvin Ceccoli Australian footballer (born 1974) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Alvin, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Alvin?

The median living Alvin is about 61 years old. Half of all living Alvins are between 38 and 73 years old.

How many people named Alvin are alive today?

An estimated 76 thousand people named Alvin are alive in the United States, based on 162,512 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Alvin mean?

From Old English Ælfwine, made up of ælf (“elf”) +‎ wine (“friend”).

How popular is the name Alvin in 2025?

Alvin ranked #838 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 294 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Alvin?

162,512 babies have been named Alvin in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Alvin most popular?

Alvin peaked in 1927, when 2,908 newborns received the name.

Is Alvin a boy or girl name?

Alvin is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Alvin rising or falling?

Alvin is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Alvin become more popular?

Alvin is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 266 boys named Alvin in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Alvin?

Well-known people named Alvin include Alvin York (military personnel), Alvin Lee (musician), Alvin Ailey (dancer).

Names like Alvin

Names that sound and feel close to Alvin: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Alvin with similar names → More names starting with A →