Alvin
From the Old English name Aelfwine, which joins aelf, "elf," with wine, "friend." It survived into modern English partly through the surname that grew out of the medieval given name.
Alvin in 2025
Alvin was given to 294 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,713th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 11,277 babies born.
The history of Alvin
Alvin reached its highest point in 1927, when 2,908 babies were given the name, ranking 162nd that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 162,512 babies have been named Alvin. Half of them were born before 1945, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Alvin by decade
| Decade | Babies named Alvin | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,256 | 248 |
| 1890s | 1,667 | 300 |
| 1900s | 2,489 | 247 |
| 1910s | 15,627 | 179 |
| 1920s | 27,090 | 162 |
| 1930s | 21,636 | 181 |
| 1940s | 20,835 | 241 |
| 1950s | 23,250 | 260 |
| 1960s | 14,629 | 355 |
| 1970s | 8,767 | 492 |
| 1980s | 7,561 | 541 |
| 1990s | 5,927 | 682 |
| 2000s | 5,240 | 917 |
| 2010s | 4,535 | 1,101 |
| 2020s | 2,003 | 1,391 |
Where Alvin is heading
Alvin has fallen 35% over the past decade, from 455 babies in 2015 to 294 in 2025.
Names like Alvin
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Alvin.