Alvin

Alvin’s success on the American male naming charts is long and illustrious. The name has been in constant use since at least the late 19th century when the U.S. government first began tracking naming trends. What’s remarkable, though, is that Alvin was popular enough to make the Top 100 list of most commonly used boy names in America for almost 40 consecutive years (1901-1938). In the latter half of the 20th century up through today, Alvin has been on a steady decline. In fact, right now the name is experiencing the lowest point of its usage ever on the charts. Let’s face it, the name Alvin immediately conjures up the mischievous rabble-rouser from "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (first created in 1958). For some reason, the other two chipmunks Simon (the smart one) and Theodore (the shy chubby one) don’t have their names so closely associated with the silly singing trio. We can even hear the chipmunk’s father yelling “AAALLLVVVIIINNN!!!” The name thus reminds us of a harmlessly naughty and impish sort of boy like Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes) and Dennis (from Dennis the Menace). Alvin is a cute and friendly name, even a bit nerdy in a charming sort of way. Although rapper Xzibit (born Alvin Joiner IV) may be giving the name some much needed street cred.