United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
"Many Americans study Irving's famous tales like Rip Van Winkle to understand early 19th-century literature."
United States writer of darkly humorous novels (born in 1942)
"The author Irving is famous for his darkly humorous novels that often explore the absurdities of American life."
A surname, from Scottish Gaelic​.
"Many people named Irving trace their family name back to its roots in Scottish Gaelic."
Irving is a variant of the Scottish surname Irvine, which likely originated from a Celtic term meaning "fresh river." The name traveled into English usage as a habitational surname derived from places named after this descriptive phrase.