Marvin
Marvin was the 699th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 385 babies. Its best year was 1933, when it ranked 44th; the most babies were born in 1928 (4,452). Over the last ten years it has moved down 151 places. More babies were named Marvin in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning Welsh Merfyn (meaning uncertain) · Welsh
Say it MAR-vin /ˈmɑrvɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #699 boys, down 92 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 385boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19284,452 babies
- Total since 1880
- 255,807babies recorded
What does the name Marvin mean?
Marvin comes from the Welsh name Merfyn. Wiktionary suggests it is probably formed from mêr, marrow, and myn, eminent, though Welsh names of this age are hard to analyze with certainty. Mervyn is the closer English spelling. Wiktionary also records Marvin as a Welsh surname, and notes that German borrowed the name from English in the 20th century. Marvin has been used in the US since 1880 and was most common in the late 1920s.
Merfyn (Welsh, “Mervyn”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Wiktionary says 'probably'; no edited Welsh source checked.
Related names: Mervyn, Merfyn, Marv.
See also: Welsh names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marvin' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Marvin
The usual nicknames for Marvin are Marv.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marv | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Marvins go by each one.
Marvin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,615 since 1902.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #699 | 385 |
| 2020 | #607 | 451 |
| 2010 | #431 | 636 |
| 2000 | #336 | 815 |
| 1990 | #237 | 1,216 |
| 1980 | #199 | 1,224 |
| 1970 | #153 | 2,036 |
| 1960 | #119 | 3,278 |
| 1950 | #93 | 3,493 |
| 1940 | #63 | 3,502 |
| 1930 | #48 | 4,404 |
| 1920 | #62 | 3,244 |
| 1910 | #84 | 413 |
| 1900 | #130 | 176 |
| 1890 | #143 | 99 |
| 1880 | #184 | 69 |
How popular is Marvin, counting every spelling?
Marvin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #688 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #699 for Marvin on its own. Together these spellings went to 385 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin | 385 | #699 | 2,134 |
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 Marvin?
385 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marvin (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Marvin 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 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marvin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marvin?
About 115,600 people born in the US named Marvin are alive today, with a median age of 61; half are between 40 and 73. That makes Marvin a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Marvin by state
How common Marvin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.4×), Wisconsin (2.1×), Pennsylvania (1.9×), Indiana (1.6×), Virginia (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marvin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marvin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Marvin · Sibling names for Marvin
Questions about the name Marvin
What does Marvin mean?
Marvin is usually explained as “Welsh Merfyn (meaning uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Marvin?
Marvin was the 699th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 385 babies. Its best year was 1933, when it ranked 44th; the most babies were born in 1928 (4,452). Over the last ten years it has moved down 151 places. More babies were named Marvin in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Marvin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Marvin in the US.
Where is Marvin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marvin was most common in Maryland (0.60 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.