Given name & surname
Elvin
“a friend of the elves”
Elvin is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “a friend of the elves.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “a friend of the elves.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
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
Elvin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 21,166
- 20,932 boys · 234 girls
- Most popular year
- 1927
- 402 babies
- 2025
- 102
- #1,647 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −5%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 102 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,647 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 5.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 392 in 1927. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 14,198 as a first name in 2020; 756 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.
Elvin’s family of names
In English usage, Elvin has a related form in Alvin. Elvin has a related form in Elvia. In English usage, Elvin has a related form in Elvis.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 29
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Alvinvariant · English
- Elvisvariant · English
- Elviavariant
- Elwinvariant
- Elwynvariant
- Elvernvariant
- Elvinevariant
- Elvenvariant
Show 21 moreShow fewer
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Elvin
- Elvin JonesAmerican jazz drummer (1927–2004)
- Elvin HayesAmerican basketball player (born 1945)
- Elvin BishopAmerican musicianborn 1942
- Elvin Mammadovfootball playerborn 1988
- Elvin MamishzadaAzerbaijani boxerborn 1991
- Elvin BeqiriAlbanian footballerborn 1980
- Elvin MursaliyevAzerbaijani wrestlerborn 1988
- Elvin Yunuszadefootballerborn 1992
- Elvin AliyevAzerbaijani footballerborn 1984
Characters named Elvin: Professor E. Gadd (fictional human from the Mario franchise).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Elvin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elgin
“a noble man; one who is white-skinned”
>99% boys
Erwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Melvin
“a friend who offers counsel”
>99% boys
Eldon
“from the sacred hill”
>99% boys
Olin
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Elden
“an old friend”
>99% boys
Elton
“a spontaneous woman” · “from the old town”
99% boys · 1% girls
Irwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys