Irwin is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "peace" or "harmony." It is derived from the Hebrew word "shalom," which is a common greeting and farewell in Israel, and also means peace. Irwin is often associated with the concept of tranquility and unity.
The name Irwin has been used for centuries, but it gained popularity during the mid-20th century, particularly in the United States. It was especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s, reaching its peak in the latter decade when it was among the top 500 names for boys.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Irwin. One of the most famous is Irwin Shaw, an American novelist and playwright known for his works such as "The Young Lions" and "Bury the Dead." Another notable figure is Irwin Rose, a Canadian-American biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2004 for his work on protein folding.
Irwin has also been used as a surname. In the United Kingdom, it is believed to have originated from Ireland, where it was likely an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Raghallaigh," meaning "descendant of Ragallach." Some sources suggest that Irwin could also be derived from the English word "erewhile," meaning "former" or "at one time."
In popular culture, Irwin has appeared in various forms of media. For instance, there is a character named Irwin in the animated series "The Simpsons," and another in the video game "Final Fantasy VII." Additionally, Irwin has been used as a stage name by several musicians.
Overall, Irwin is an interesting name with a meaningful origin and a rich history. It has been worn by many notable individuals throughout time and continues to be used today.
The given statistics track the number of births with the name Irwin in the United States annually from 1880 to 2023. Over this period, there have been a total of 15,917 births.
From 1880 to around 1910, the annual number of births named Irwin fluctuated between approximately 10 and 50 births per year. However, starting in 1912, there was a significant increase in the popularity of this name, with over 100 births each year for several years running.
The peak years for the name Irwin were 1916 to 1927, during which time it was quite popular. In fact, there were over 500 births each year between 1924 and 1927. However, starting in the late 1920s, the popularity of this name began to decline.
By the mid-1930s, the annual number of Irwin births had dropped below 400 per year, and it continued to decrease throughout most of the remainder of the century. Between the early 1960s and late 1970s, there were fewer than 50 births named Irwin each year.
The name's popularity seemed to rebound slightly in the mid-1980s with around 30-40 births per year until the early 1990s. However, since then, the number of Irwin births has continued to decline steadily.
From the late 1990s onwards, fewer than 50 babies named Irwin were born annually in the United States. In recent years, between 2013 and 2023, there have been an average of only around 14 Irwin births per year, with a low of just 6 births in 2023.
Overall, while Irwin was once quite popular as a baby name in the United States, its popularity has significantly waned over time.