Karvin
A masculine name derived from the Sanskrit word "karm" meaning action or endeavor.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Karvin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Karvin today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karvin births was 1974 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karvin. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Karvin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1974
5 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1990 SSA rank
#8,810
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Karvin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karvin from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karvin 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 Karvin 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 Karvin
The given name Karvin is of uncertain origin, with no clear linguistic roots or cultural associations. Scholars have been unable to trace its etymology to any specific language or region. It is a relatively modern name, with no known historical references or appearances in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Karvin date back to the late 19th century, though its usage was exceedingly rare at that time. One of the earliest documented individuals with the name was Karvin Schultz, born in 1876 in a small village in Germany. Little is known about his life or accomplishments.
In the early 20th century, a notable figure named Karvin Ellison gained some prominence as a pioneering aviator and aircraft designer. Born in 1892 in the United States, Ellison contributed to the development of early aircraft designs and is credited with several innovations in aeronautical engineering.
Another individual named Karvin Llewellyn, born in 1914 in Wales, was a respected linguist and scholar of Celtic languages. He authored several influential works on the history and evolution of the Welsh language, and his contributions to the field were widely recognized during his lifetime.
In the mid-20th century, Karvin Masterson, born in 1927 in Australia, achieved international acclaim as a virtuoso classical pianist. His performances and recordings of works by composers such as Chopin, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff were highly acclaimed, and he was regarded as one of the finest pianists of his generation.
More recently, Karvin Dubois, born in 1963 in France, gained recognition as a prominent environmental activist and advocate for sustainable living. His efforts to raise awareness about climate change and promote eco-friendly practices have earned him numerous awards and accolades from various organizations.
While the name Karvin may have an obscure origin, these notable individuals have helped to establish its presence and significance throughout history, each making valuable contributions in their respective fields and leaving a lasting impact on society.
People
Karvin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karvin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Karvin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karvin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karvin 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Karvin a common name?
We classify Karvin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karvin most popular?
The single biggest year for Karvin was 1974, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karvin is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Karvin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karvin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karvin 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.
Is Karvin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karvin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Karvin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Karvin?
See how many Americans are named Karvin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.