Kelvin
Kelvin was the 1036th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 214 babies. Its best year was 1965, when it ranked 207th; the most babies were born in 1961 (1,370). Over the last ten years it has moved down 384 places. More babies were named Kelvin in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Scottish Gaelic, English
Say it KEL-vin /ˈkɛlvɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,036 boys, down 114 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 214boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19611,370 babies
- Total since 1880
- 51,855babies recorded
What does the name Kelvin mean?
Kelvin comes from the River Kelvin in Glasgow. The river name is Celtic, possibly from Gaelic words for "narrow" and "river", but this is not certain. The physicist William Thomson took the title Baron Kelvin from the river in 1892, and the temperature scale is named after him. Wikipedia, citing the Oxford Dictionary of First Names, says the name rose in the US around 1950, perhaps helped by the similar-sounding Kevin.
caol (Scottish Gaelic, “narrow (possible)”)abhainn (Scottish Gaelic, “river (possible)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The river name's meaning is only tentatively explained.
See also: Scottish names, names that mean water, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kelvin', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Kelvin (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Kelvin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 304 since 1956.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,036 | 214 |
| 2020 | #922 | 242 |
| 2010 | #520 | 497 |
| 2000 | #389 | 657 |
| 1990 | #288 | 870 |
| 1980 | #313 | 613 |
| 1970 | #254 | 912 |
| 1960 | #217 | 1,299 |
| 1950 | #576 | 139 |
| 1940 | #1,502 | 21 |
| 1930 | #2,893 | 9 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kelvin, counting every spelling?
Kelvin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #989 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,036 for Kelvin on its own. Together these spellings went to 214 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelvin | 214 | #1,036 | 1,155 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kelvin?
214 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kelvin (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kelvin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 39 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kelvin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kelvin?
About 45,600 people born in the US named Kelvin are alive today, with a median age of 43; half are between 27 and 59. That makes Kelvin mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kelvin by state
How common Kelvin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (2.8×), Maryland (2.6×), Louisiana (2.2×), Massachusetts (1.9×), Tennessee (1.7×). In 26 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kelvin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kelvin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kelvin · Sibling names for Kelvin
Questions about the name Kelvin
What does Kelvin mean?
The origin of Kelvin is uncertain: the river name's meaning is only tentatively explained.
How popular is the name Kelvin?
Kelvin was the 1036th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 214 babies. Its best year was 1965, when it ranked 207th; the most babies were born in 1961 (1,370). Over the last ten years it has moved down 384 places. More babies were named Kelvin in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Kelvin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kelvin in the US.
Where is Kelvin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kelvin was most common in Alabama (0.38 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maryland and Louisiana.