Meaning and origin
The last name Irwin traces its origins to both Ireland and Scotland. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Eoforwine," which means "friend of the wild boar." Over time, this name evolved into various forms such as Irvin, Irvine, and eventually Irwin. The surname Irwin therefore signifies a connection to a person of Irish or Scottish descent whose ancestors bore the name Eoforwine, reflecting their association with the qualities of friendship and resilience that the symbolic wild boar represents.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#1,019
Irwin was the 1,019th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 34,297 people, about 12 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Irwin
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Irwin is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.