2000
#11,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Arvin
Derived from a place name meaning "friend's spring" or "spring of the eagle" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,521 Americans carry the last name Arvin. That puts it at #13,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,960 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arvin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,960
Census rank
#13,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,198 bearers of the surname Arvin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arvin
The surname Arvin is believed to have originated in England, likely during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Arvan or Arfan, which may have been an old settlement or village in one of the English counties.
Some sources suggest that the name Arvin could be a variant spelling of the Old English name Arfan, which means "reverent" or "honorable." This name may have been given to someone who was highly respected in their community or known for their pious or virtuous character.
Alternatively, Arvin may be derived from the Old English word "ærfan," which means "to inherit" or "to possess." This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who inherited land or property, or was a landowner or noble.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Arvin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Alanus de Arvan is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time, and may have been associated with a specific location known as Arvan.
In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire mention a John de Arvan, indicating the name's continued presence and potential spread across different regions of England.
Notable individuals with the surname Arvin include:
1. Richard Arvin (c. 1510–1570), an English Protestant clergyman and author who published works on theology and church history.
2. William Arvin (1628–1699), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the late 17th century.
3. Elizabeth Arvin (1708–1789), an English philanthropist and benefactor who donated significant funds to establish schools and aid the poor in her local community.
4. Thomas Arvin (1794–1868), a British explorer and naturalist who led expeditions to South America and the Caribbean, contributing to the study of flora and fauna in those regions.
5. Charlotte Arvin (1856–1932), an English novelist and poet whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.
While the surname Arvin may have evolved over time and taken on various spellings, its origins can be traced back to England, where it likely emerged as a locational name or a name reflecting someone's character, inheritance, or social standing.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arvin
Among Census respondents with the surname Arvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Arvin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Arvin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 1,915
- Two or more races5.1% · 112
- Black or African American4.1% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arvin
Arvin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,357
-49 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 1,112 places
2020
#13,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,198
-159 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 260 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,917 | 2,406 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,029 | 2,357 | 0.80 | -49 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 1,112 places |
| 2020 | #13,289 | 2,198 | 0.74 | -159 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 260 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Arvin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,029 | #13,289 | -2.0% |
| Count | 2,357 | 2,198 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.74 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arvin bearers went from 2,357 to 2,198 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 260 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,029 to #13,289.
FAQ
Arvin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arvin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,521 living Americans carry the surname Arvin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,960 residents.
How common is Arvin?
Arvin ranks #13,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,198 people with the surname Arvin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,521), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Arvin.
Has Arvin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arvin went from 2,357 recorded bearers to 2,198. That is a decrease of 159 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,029 to #13,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Arvin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arvin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (1,915 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arvin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Black (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Arvin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Arvin mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "friend's spring" or "spring of the eagle" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Arvin (0.74 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Arvin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.