Irving is a Scottish surname taken from the town of Irvine and the river of the same name, whose Celtic name is usually explained as "green water" or "fresh water". Author Washington Irving and songwriter Irving Berlin made it a familiar American first name in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Irving stood at number 840 in 2000, peaked at number 817 in 2003, has since left the top 1000 and ranks 1783 in 2025.