Find out how popular the last name Irvine is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Irvine.

Irvine, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Irvine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Irvine in America

Irvine is the 3769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Irvine surname appeared 9,397 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Irvine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Irvine to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Irvine

The surname Irvine originates from the medieval lands of Renfrewshire in Scotland, deriving its name from the ancient town of Irvine on the Ayrshire coast. The name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "iar" meaning "west" and "abhainn" meaning "river," referring to the town's location on the River Irvine.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 12th century, appearing in the Registrum Monasterii de Passelet as "Iruine" in 1163. This ancient manuscript contains records of land grants and legal transactions involving the nearby Paisley Abbey.

In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historic record of homages sworn to King Edward I of England, the name appears as "Irvyn" and "Irwyn." This document provides evidence of the surname's use in Scotland during the late 13th century.

One of the earliest documented bearers of the name is Sir William de Irvine, who was granted lands in Aberdeenshire by King Robert the Bruce in the early 14th century. Another notable figure is Alexander Irvine, a 15th-century Scottish prelate who served as Bishop of Galloway from 1429 to 1439.

The Irvine family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several members holding influential positions. Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum (1609-1687) was a prominent Scottish Royalist during the English Civil War, while James Irvine (1758-1821) was a Scottish-American writer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives.

Other notable individuals bearing the surname Irvine include Sir Gerard Irvine (1611-1687), a Scottish lawyer and judge, and William Irvine (1741-1804), an American soldier and statesman who served as a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

In addition to its Scottish roots, the Irvine surname has also been associated with place names in other parts of the world. For example, the city of Irvine in California was named after James Irvine, a Scottish immigrant who acquired a vast landholding in the region in the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Irvine

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Irvine.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Irvine was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Irvine has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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