Melvin
Melvin is a masculine given name and surname, likely a variant of Melville and a descendant of the French surname de Maleuin and the later Melwin. It may alternatively be spelled as Melvyn or, in Welsh, Melfyn and the name Melivinia or Melva may be used a feminine form.
- English
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Melvin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Melvin is a masculine given name and surname, likely a variant of Melville and a descendant of the French surname de Maleuin and the later Melwin. It may alternatively be spelled as Melvyn or, in Welsh, Melfyn and the name Melivinia or Melva may be used a feminine form.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Swedish
The Story of Melvin
The earliest SSA record of Melvin as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 103 babies received it. 1928 was its biggest year on record, with 4,249 newborns named Melvin — #48 in the national rankings. As of 2026, Melvin ranks #882 for baby boys with 270 births, gradually falling (-12%). All told, over 245K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Melvin
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Melvin. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Melvin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Melvin 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 Melvin
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About the name Melvin
Melvin is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 245K births in the dataset. Melvin's peak popularity came in 1928 when it ranked #47. Use the chart and map above to compare Melvin'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.