Garvin is a name of English origin, derived from the Old Germanic elements "gar" meaning "spear" and "win" meaning "friend". It is considered a variant spelling of Garwin or Garfield. The name Garvin has been used in various forms throughout history but it was not particularly popular until the 20th century.
The earliest known use of the name Garvin can be traced back to medieval England, where it appeared as Gervinus and Geruinus. These names were derived from the Old Germanic name Gerhard, which consisted of the elements "gar" meaning "spear" and "hard" meaning "strong". Over time, the name evolved into various forms such as Gerwin, Garwin, Garvin, and Garfield.
In literature, the name Garvin has been used in a few notable works. In Charles Dickens' novel "The Pickwick Papers", there is a character named Samuel Garbin, although it is likely that this was simply a misspelling of Garvin. Additionally, there is a character named Garvin in F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz".
Today, Garvin remains a relatively uncommon name but one that has been used consistently throughout history. It is considered a strong and powerful name due to its origins meaning "spear friend" or "spear strong". Overall, Garvin is an attractive and unique name choice for parents looking for something distinctive yet timeless for their child.
Based on the statistics provided, we can analyze the popularity of the name Garvin over time in the United States.
The name Garvin first appeared in the top 1000 baby names list in 1894 with only 5 births that year. It then fluctuated in popularity throughout the early 20th century, with the highest number of births recorded in 1921 at 52 births.
The name Garvin reached its peak popularity during the late 1930s to early 1940s, with over 30 births per year from 1936 to 1948. The highest number of births recorded during this period was in 1947 with 37 births.
After World War II, the popularity of Garvin started to decline and remained relatively stable with fewer than 30 births per year until the mid-1950s. Between 1955 and 1962, there were between 18 and 35 births per year for the name Garvin.
However, starting in the late 1960s, the popularity of Garvin began to decline significantly, with fewer than 25 births recorded each year from 1964 onwards. By the early 1970s, the name Garvin had fallen out of the top 1000 baby names list.
Since then, Garvin has remained relatively uncommon, with fewer than 20 births per year on average between 1975 and 2022. The most recent data shows that there were only 5 births for the name Garvin in 2022.
In conclusion, while the name Garvin was once popular in the early to mid-20th century, it has since become much less common. Despite its decline in popularity, however, Garvin remains a unique and distinctive name choice for parents looking for something different for their child.