Melvin
Melvin was the 959th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 243 babies. Its best year was 1926, when it ranked 47th; the most babies were born in 1928 (4,249). Over the last ten years it has moved down 269 places. More babies were named Melvin in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Melville, a Norman place name · Scottish, French
Say it MEL-vin /ˈmɛlvɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #959 boys, down 207 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 243boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19284,249 babies
- Total since 1880
- 247,075babies recorded
What does the name Melvin mean?
Melvin is, according to Wiktionary, a variant of the Scottish surname Melville, from Malleville in Normandy, a place name from Latin mala 'bad' and Old French ville 'settlement', so perhaps 'poor settlement'. In Scotland and Ireland the name was also used to anglicize Gaelic names such as Mac Gille Bheathain. Melvin was a common American boys' name in the early 20th century.
Malleville (Old French, “place name”)ville (Old French, “settlement”)
How sure is this? Probable. Some families' Melvin comes from Gaelic names instead.
Related names: Melville, Mel, Melvyn.
See also: Scottish names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Melvin', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Melville', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Nicknames for Melvin
The usual nicknames for Melvin are Mel.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mel · also for Amelia, Melody, Melanie | Traditional | #7,508 | 48 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Melvins go by each one.
Melvin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,139 since 1895.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #959 | 243 |
| 2020 | #752 | 323 |
| 2010 | #556 | 456 |
| 2000 | #455 | 525 |
| 1990 | #277 | 941 |
| 1980 | #218 | 1,103 |
| 1970 | #171 | 1,678 |
| 1960 | #125 | 3,011 |
| 1950 | #87 | 3,886 |
| 1940 | #53 | 3,935 |
| 1930 | #50 | 4,048 |
| 1920 | #54 | 3,717 |
| 1910 | #75 | 482 |
| 1900 | #102 | 231 |
| 1890 | #146 | 98 |
| 1880 | #129 | 103 |
How popular is Melvin, counting every spelling?
Melvin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #921 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #959 for Melvin on its own. Together these spellings went to 243 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melvin | 243 | #959 | 1,426 |
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 Melvin?
243 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Melvin (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Melvin 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 35 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Melvin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Melvin?
About 102,700 people born in the US named Melvin are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 45 and 75. That makes Melvin 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.
Melvin by state
How common Melvin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (3.4×), Maryland (3.0×), Wisconsin (2.0×), Virginia (1.7×), Missouri (1.6×). In 23 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 Melvin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Melvin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Melvin · Sibling names for Melvin
Questions about the name Melvin
What does Melvin mean?
Melvin means “from Melville, a Norman place name” (Scottish, French origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Melvin?
Melvin was the 959th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 243 babies. Its best year was 1926, when it ranked 47th; the most babies were born in 1928 (4,249). Over the last ten years it has moved down 269 places. More babies were named Melvin in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Melvin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Melvin in the US.
Where is Melvin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Melvin was most common in Pennsylvania (0.56 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maryland and Wisconsin.