Irvan
A name of Celtic origin loosely meaning "green river valley".
Name Census estimates that about 46 living Americans carry the first name Irvan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Irvan today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Irvan births was 1917 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Irvan. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Irvan is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Irvans were born before 1959.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Irvan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
46
~ 1 in 7,451,181 Americans
Peak year
1917
14 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1987 SSA rank
#7,416
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Irvan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Irvan from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 86 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Irvan 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 Irvan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Irvan
The given name Irvan is believed to have originated from the Persian language, where it is derived from the word "Irvan," which means "brave" or "courageous." This name has been in use for centuries, with its roots tracing back to the ancient Persian Empire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Irvan can be found in the Shahnameh, an epic poem written by the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. In this literary masterpiece, Irvan is mentioned as the name of a brave warrior who fought alongside the legendary hero Rostam.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Irvan. One such individual was Irvan the Great, a Persian commander who lived during the 7th century. He played a crucial role in the Islamic conquest of Persia and is remembered for his military prowess and strategic brilliance.
Another historical figure with the name Irvan was Irvan ibn Husayn, a prominent Islamic scholar and theologian who lived in the 9th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of hadith (prophetic traditions) and his influential works on Islamic jurisprudence.
In the realm of literature, the name Irvan is associated with Irvan Pasha, a 16th-century Ottoman poet and writer. His poetic works, particularly his ghazals (lyric poems), were highly acclaimed and widely read during his time.
Moving forward in history, Irvan Ismail was a renowned Iranian artist and calligrapher who lived in the 20th century (1920-1992). His intricate calligraphic works and paintings were celebrated for their beauty and mastery of the art form, and he is considered one of the most influential Iranian artists of the modern era.
These are just a few examples of the notable individuals who have carried the name Irvan throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields such as warfare, scholarship, literature, and art.
People
Irvan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Irvan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Irvan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Irvan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 46 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Irvan 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 7,451,181 US residents.
Is Irvan a common name?
We classify Irvan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 264 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Irvan most popular?
The single biggest year for Irvan was 1917, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Irvan is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Irvan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Irvan 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.