Given name & surname · also English
Edwin
“a wealthy friend”
Edwin is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “a wealthy friend.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “a wealthy friend.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old English.
How it developed
From Old English Ēadwine, from Proto-West Germanic *Audawini, from Proto-Germanic *Audawiniz.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
The name’s historical associations include a 7th-century king of Northumbria.
Edwin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 248,744
- 247,553 boys · 1,191 girls
- Most popular year
- 1922
- 3,849 babies
- 2025
- 798
- #398 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 798 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 398 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 3,827 in 1922. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (118). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 160,734 as a first name in 2020; 1,282 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.
Edwin’s family of names
In English usage, Edwin has a diminutive in Eddie. Edwin has a feminine form in Edwina. In Swedish usage, Edwin has a related form in EDVIN.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Edwin has relatives in 17 languages. Lines run from its Old English roots to each of them.
14 related names in 17 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 26
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Edwinafeminine form
- Auduncognate · Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian
- Edvinasequivalent
- Otwincognate · German
- Auðunncognate · Icelandic
- EdvīnsLatvian
- EyðunFaroese
- ЭдвинRussian
Show 2 moreShow fewer
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Edwin
- Buzz AldrinAmerican astronaut (born 1930)
- Edwin HubbleAmerican astronomer (1889–1953)
- Edwin van der SarDutch association football player (born 1970)
- Edwin McMillanAmerican physicist (1907-1991)
- Edwin G. KrebsAmerican biochemist (1918–2009)
- Edwin Howard ArmstrongAmerican electrical engineer and inventor (1890–1954)
- Edwin LutyensBritish architect (1869–1944)
- Edwin MosesAmerican track and field athleteborn 1955
- Edwin IfeanyiCameroonian association football playerborn 1972
Characters named Edwin: Edwin Jarvis (Marvel Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Edwin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Edward
“a wealthy protector”
>99% boys
Elroy
“a red-haired young man” · “a king”
>99% boys
Erwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Reynold
“the king's advisor”
>99% boys
Elvin
“a friend of the elves”
>99% boys
Rexford
“from the king's ford”
>99% boys
Ben
“son of the south; son of the right hand” · “one who is blessed”
>99% boys
Olin
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys