Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1925

Irwin

Meaning boar Gender Boy Rank 2025 #6,600

From a medieval given name Erwin, from Eoforwine, from Old English eofor (“boar”) + wine (“friend”), the latter of which is from Proto-West Germanic *wini.

Rank 2025
#6,600
among boys · ↓1,076 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
13
named Irwin
How common
1 in 131,390
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1925
534 babies
All-time total
15,958
#941 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Irwin popularity over time

15,958 babies have been named Irwin 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 223 223 22 – #297
1890s – 258 258 26 +16% #285
1900s – 337 337 34 +31% #316
1910s 5 1,902 1,907 191 +466% #316
1920s 7 4,433 4,440 444 +133% #247
1930s – 3,602 3,602 360 -19% #245
1940s – 1,851 1,851 185 -49% #378
1950s – 1,139 1,139 114 -38% #560
1960s – 575 575 58 -50% #815
1970s – 264 264 26 -54% #1,445
1980s – 309 309 31 +17% #1,543
1990s – 420 420 42 +36% #1,456
2000s – 364 364 36 -13% #2,391
2010s – 185 185 19 -49% #3,832
2020s (to 2025) – 84 84 14 -24% #4,926

The story of Irwin

Irwin is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,600 in 2025 with 13 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 15,958 American babies have been named Irwin. Its peak came in 1925, when 534 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 Irwin stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Irwin?

The median living Irwin is about 68 years old; half are between 37 and 80. An estimated 4,400 people named Irwin are alive in the United States today.

median 68 020406080100

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

Irwin 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 – – 13 #6,600
2024 – – 17 #5,524
2023 – – 6 #11,374
2022 – – 13 #6,617
2021 – – 16 #5,633
2020 – – 19 #4,926
2019 – – 20 #4,867
2018 – – 20 #4,817
2017 – – 12 #6,857
2016 – – 16 #5,649
2015 – – 18 #5,149
2014 – – 12 #6,800
2013 – – 9 #8,367
2012 – – 26 #3,941
2011 – – 27 #3,832
2010 – – 25 #4,037
2009 – – 18 #5,175
2008 – – 32 #3,448
2007 – – 47 #2,620
2006 – – 44 #2,676
2005 – – 30 #3,343
2004 – – 40 #2,664
2003 – – 36 #2,751
2002 – – 43 #2,391
2001 – – 36 #2,646
2000 – – 38 #2,496
1995 – – 37 #2,190
1990 – – 44 #1,792
1985 – – 30 #1,936
1980 – – 30 #1,881
1975 – – 29 #1,725
1970 – – 34 #1,445
1965 – – 57 #981
1960 – – 87 #820
1955 – – 107 #710
1950 – – 146 #560
1945 – – 186 #438
1940 – – 229 #378
1935 – – 382 #279
1930 – – 486 #254
1925 7 #4,206 527 #247
1920 – – 333 #316
1915 – – 261 #325
1910 – – 49 #368
1905 – – 30 #386
1900 – – 32 #395
1895 – – 39 #285
1890 – – 17 #448
1885 – – 12 #563
1880 – – 22 #366

Famous people named Irwin

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

  1. 1 Irwin Winkler American film producer and director (born 1931) Contemporary
  2. 2 Irwin Allen American filmmaker (1916–1991) Contemporary
  3. 3 Irwin Keyes Irwin Keyes American actor (1952–2015) Contemporary
  4. 4 Irwin Shaw Irwin Shaw American writer (1913–1984) Contemporary
  5. 5 Irwin Rose Irwin Rose American biologist 1926–2015 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Irwin I. Shapiro American astrophysicist b. 1929 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Irwin?

The median living Irwin is about 68 years old. Half of all living Irwins are between 37 and 80 years old.

How many people named Irwin are alive today?

An estimated 4,400 people named Irwin are alive in the United States, based on 15,958 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Irwin mean?

From a medieval given name Erwin, from Eoforwine, from Old English eofor (“boar”) + wine (“friend”), the latter of which is from Proto-West Germanic *wini.

How popular is the name Irwin in 2025?

Irwin ranked #6,600 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 13 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Irwin?

15,958 babies have been named Irwin in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Irwin most popular?

Irwin peaked in 1925, when 534 newborns received the name.

Is Irwin a boy or girl name?

Irwin is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Irwin rising or falling?

Irwin has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Irwin?

Well-known people named Irwin include Irwin Winkler (film director), Irwin Allen (film director), Irwin Keyes (actor).

Names like Irwin

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

Compare Irwin with similar names → More names starting with I →