Durwin
A name possibly derived from the Welsh name "Derwine", meaning "from the druid settlement".
Name Census estimates that about 518 living Americans carry the first name Durwin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Durwin today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Durwin births was 1956 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Durwin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
518
~ 1 in 661,688 Americans
Peak year
1956
36 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1995 SSA rank
#8,096
Tracked since 1934
Popularity
Durwin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Durwin from the 1930s through to the 1990s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 221 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Durwin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Durwin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Durwins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Durwin
The name Durwin finds its origins in the Old English language, traced back to the medieval period around the 9th to 11th centuries. It is believed to be a combination of two elements - "dur", meaning "door" or "gate", and "win", signifying "friend" or "protector". As such, the name Durwin may have been interpreted as "the protector of the gate" or "the guardian of the entrance".
Durwin was prevalent in Anglo-Saxon England, particularly in the regions now known as Wessex and Mercia. The name's earliest recorded use can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Several individuals bearing the name Durwin were listed as landowners or tenants in various parts of the country.
While no direct historical references to Durwin can be found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name's components have deeper roots in Germanic languages. The element "dur" is also present in Old Norse words like "dyrr" (door) and "dura" (gate), while "win" has cognates in Old High German and Old Saxon, indicating a shared linguistic heritage.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Durwin was a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This Durwin was granted lands in Gloucestershire and is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles.
In the 12th century, a Durwin de Arderne served as Sheriff of Staffordshire and Shropshire under King Henry II. He was a prominent figure in the local administration and is mentioned in various legal documents and charters from the period.
During the 13th century, a Durwin of Wycombe was a respected scholar and theologian who studied at the University of Oxford. He is known for his contributions to the development of scholastic philosophy and his writings on theology and logic.
In the 14th century, a Durwin le Bercher was a renowned archer who fought alongside Edward III at the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War. He was celebrated for his skill with the longbow and is mentioned in several contemporary accounts of the battle.
Lastly, in the 15th century, a Durwin Blacksmith was a skilled metalworker and armorer who crafted weapons and armor for the English nobility. His work is documented in several royal accounts and inventories from the period, indicating his reputation for quality craftsmanship.
People
Durwin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Durwin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Durwin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Durwin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 518 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Durwin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 661,688 US residents.
Is Durwin a common name?
We classify Durwin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 632 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Durwin most popular?
The single biggest year for Durwin was 1956, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Durwin is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Durwin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Durwin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.