Total births
44,364
Boys' name · since 1880
Irving
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 44,364 babies named Irving, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1620
- among boys today
- 44,364
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Irving currently ranks #1620 among boys' names in America, with 44,364 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Irving has been recorded 44,364 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1620 nationally and more common than 89% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1620 among boys today
- 44,364 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Irving is currently the #1620 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 44,364 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1620
- among boys today
- 44,364
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Irving vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1620
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Irving was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
1,533 babies were named Irving in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Irving compares
44,364 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Irving's all-time total is 121x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Irving | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 44,364 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,533 | 23 | 22,252 |
Irving's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Irving's full recorded timeline at 1953, 24% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 76% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 46 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 1,533 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Irving at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#1,620
Active since
1880
Irving popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,533
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Irving popularity over time - girls
85 total births recorded since 1915 (Irving as girls' name)
Irving by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Irving's strongest decade.
11,898 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Irving births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 654
1880s
654 births
- 1890s 903
1890s
903 births
- 1900s 1,524
1900s
1,524 births
- 1910s
1910s
10,737 births
- 1920s
1920s
11,898 births
- 1930s 4,239
1930s
4,239 births
- 1940s 2,933
1940s
2,933 births
- 1950s 2,403
1950s
2,403 births
- 1960s 1,466
1960s
1,466 births
- 1970s 883
1970s
883 births
- 1980s 1,204
1980s
1,204 births
- 1990s 1,928
1990s
1,928 births
- 2000s 1,770
2000s
1,770 births
- 2010s 1,240
2010s
1,240 births
- 2020s 582
2020s
582 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 11,898 births (27% of all-time use).
How Irving compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Irving's total volume
Irving vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Irving by state
Where Irving concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 14,884 | 33.5% |
| #2 | California | | 2,756 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 2,420 | 5.5% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 2,088 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 2,005 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,551 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Texas | | 1,384 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,186 | 2.7% |
New York share of Irving's total US births 33.5%
Even split
14,884 of 44,364 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Irving appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Irving? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 44,364 babies named Irving. Today it holds rank #1620 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1918, with 1,533 births.
When was Irving most popular? ▼
Irving was most popular in the 1920s decade with 11,898 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Irving most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Irving are New York (14,884 births), California (2,756 births), Illinois (2,420 births).
How long has the name Irving been used? ▼
Irving has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Irving? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Irvin, Irven, Irvine, Irvan, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Irving's data
- Irving's decade-level peak was the 1920s (11,898 total births); usage has since declined to 582 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Irvings (14,884 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Irving
Nearby Names Like Irving
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Irving
Irvin Boy
#2057 39,922 births
Irven Boy
1,086 births
Irvine Boy
899 births
Irvan Boy
264 births
Irvyn Boy
17 births
Compare Irving side by side: Irving vs Irvin Irving vs Irven Irving vs Irvine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Irving
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Irving: #1620 Boys' Name - 44,364 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/irving. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Irving draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.