Alvin: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced AL-vin · 2 syllables

Alvin means “elf; friend”, from English.

From Old English Aelfwine, made up of aelf (“elf”) + wine (“friend”).

How popular is Alvin?

Alvin was the #838 name in the US in 2025, given to 294 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 31% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1920.

Babies named Alvin in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1920).

Half of US adults named Alvin are older than 64; most are between 24 and 87. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Alvin have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Alvin means “elf; friend”. It comes from English.

Alvin is pronounced AL-vin.

Alvin was the #838 name in the US in 2025, given to 294 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 31% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1920.

Half of US adults named Alvin are older than 64. Most are between 24 and 87.