Boy · #12,230 in 2026

Melvyn

Melvyn is a masculine given name that may refer to:Melvyn Betts, English cricketer Melvyn Bragg, British broadcaster and author Melvyn Caplan, British Conservative politician Mel Collins, British saxophonist, former member of King Crimson Melvyn Douglas (1901-1981), American actor Melvyn Dubofsky, American professor of history and sociology Melvyn Gale, English cellist, former member of the…

Current Rank
#12,230
Peak Rank
#323 (1938)
Total Babies
4K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1929
First Year
1948
Last Year
1929
Peak Year
#4570
Peak Rank
10
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Melvyn

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Melvyn is a masculine given name that may refer to:Melvyn Betts, English cricketer Melvyn Bragg, British broadcaster and author Melvyn Caplan, British Conservative politician Mel Collins, British saxophonist, former member of King Crimson Melvyn Douglas (1901-1981), American actor Melvyn Dubofsky, American professor of history and sociology Melvyn Gale, English cellist, former member of the…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Melvyn

Melvyn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1938, when 293 Melvyns were born — ranking #323 that year. As of 2026, Melvyn ranks #12,230 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 4K Melvyns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Melvyn

Phonetically similar names — useful when Melvyn 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 Melvyn

What does the name Melvyn mean?
Melvyn is a masculine given name that may refer to:Melvyn Betts, English cricketer Melvyn Bragg, British broadcaster and author Melvyn Caplan, British Conservative politician Mel Collins, British saxophonist, former member of King Crimson Melvyn Douglas (1901-1981), American actor Melvyn Dubofsky, American professor of history and sociology Melvyn Gale, English cellist, former member of the…
How popular is Melvyn in 2026?
In 2026, Melvyn ranks #12,230 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Melvyn most popular?
Melvyn reached its peak popularity in 1938, ranking #323 that year with 293 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Melvyn most popular?
Melvyn has historically been most popular in Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Melvyn.
Is Melvyn a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Melvyn is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Melvyn?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Melvyn include Weldon, Bodie, Leander. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Melvyn

Melvyn is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Melvyn's peak popularity came in 1938 when it ranked #323. Use the chart and map above to compare Melvyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.