Find out how popular the first name Alvin has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Alvin by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Alvin is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Alvin being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 336 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Alvin.

The history of the first name Alvin

The name Alvin is derived from the Old English and Old Germanic names Aelfwine and Alvwin. These names are composed of the elements "alf" meaning "elf" and "wine" meaning "friend". The Old English and Old Germanic forms gradually evolved into the modern name Alvin over the centuries.

Alvin can be traced back to the early Middle Ages in parts of what is now England and Germany. It became a relatively common given name among Anglo-Saxons and Germanic peoples during this era. The name carried associations with mythological elves and sprites from Germanic folklore.

One of the earliest known records of the name Alvin appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. An entry lists an individual named "Aluuinus" as a landowner in Hertfordshire.

In the 12th century, a monk named Alwin authored the Vita Sancti Birini, an important early biography of Saint Birinus, an apostolic missionary who helped establish Christianity in Wessex. This Alwin has sometimes been confused with the chronicler Alwin of Tewkesbury from around the same time period.

The legendary English outlaw and folk hero Robin Hood had a son named Alwin in some medieval ballads and stories from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 15th century, the name appeared as "Alwyne" in records associated with the English county of Somerset.

A prominent figure named Alvin Tortor served as the Mayor of London in 1349 during the outbreak of the Black Death pandemic in England. He played a key role in managing the city's response to the crisis.

In the 17th century, the Puritan minister Alvyn Talmadge was born in Suffolk, England in 1607. He later emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and became an influential figure among early settlers in New England.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Alvin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alvin, please contact us.

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