Marvin
Marvin is a masculine given name, derived from the Welsh name Mervyn, an Anglicized form of Merfyn. The name Merfyn contains the Old Welsh elements mer, probably meaning "marrow", and myn, meaning "eminent".
- English
- German
- Dutch
Meaning & Origin of Marvin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Marvin is a masculine given name, derived from the Welsh name Mervyn, an Anglicized form of Merfyn. The name Merfyn contains the Old Welsh elements mer, probably meaning "marrow", and myn, meaning "eminent".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- German
- Dutch
The Story of Marvin
Marvin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 69 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1928: 4,452 births, good for #46 nationwide. As of 2026, Marvin ranks #672 for baby boys with 406 births, gradually falling (-10%). All told, over 255K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Marvin
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Marvin. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Marvin
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Marvin Abney (born 1949), American politician
- Marvin Adams , American nuclear engineer
- Marvin Lee Aday (1948–2022), American singer
- Marvin Agustin (born 1979), Filipino actor
- Marvin Akahomen (born 2007), Swiss footballer
- Marvin Albert (1924–1996), American writer
- Marvin C. Alkin (born 1934), American professor
- Marvin Allen (disambiguation) , multiple people
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Marvin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Marvin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marvin
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In which U.S. states is Marvin most popular?
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About the name Marvin
Marvin is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 255K births in the dataset. Marvin's peak popularity came in 1928 when it ranked #44. Use the chart and map above to compare Marvin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1928 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.