Given name & surname · also Old English
Alvin
“friend of the elves”
Alvin is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “friend of the elves.”
Original Old EnglishÆlfwine
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “friend of the elves.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old English.
How it developed
Its Old English formation brings together ælf (“elf, supernatural being”) and wine (“friend”).
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alvin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 162,512
- 161,414 boys · 1,098 girls
- Most popular year
- 1927
- 2,908 babies
- 2025
- 294
- #838 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −22%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 294 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 838 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 21.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,883 in 1927. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (45). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 72,962 as a first name in 2020; 1,149 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alvin’s family of names
In Czech usage, Alvin has a diminutive in Al. Alvin has a feminine form in Alvina. In English usage, Alvin has a related form in Elvin.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Alvin has relatives in 11 languages. Lines run from its Old English roots to each of them.
Old Englishwhere Alvin comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Ælfwineolder form · Old English
- Alvinafeminine form · English
- Albincognate · German
- Alwincognate · German
- ألفينequivalent
- Элвинborrowing · Russian
- アルビンborrowing · Japanese
- Albwincognate · German
Show 4 moreShow fewer
See also 7
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Alvin
- Alvin TofflerAmerican writer, futurist and businessman1928–2016
- Alvin E. RothAmerican economist, professorborn 1951
- Alvin AileyAfrican-American dancer, choreographer and activist (1931-1989)
- Alvin CeccoliAustralian association football playerborn 1974
- Alvin PlantingaAmerican Christian philosopherborn 1932
- Alvin KraenzleinAmerican athletics competitor (1876-1928)
- Alvin YorkUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient (1887-1964)
- Alvin HansenAmerican economist (1887–1975)
- Alvin M. WeinbergAmerican nuclear physicist (1915–2006)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alvin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Melvin
“a friend who offers counsel”
>99% boys
Olin
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Elgin
“a noble man; one who is white-skinned”
>99% boys
Erwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Eldon
“from the sacred hill”
>99% boys
Irwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Elden
“an old friend”
>99% boys
Walton
“from the walled town; from the stream town”
>99% boys