US Name Trends

Melvin

A Scottish surname, probably from Melville, itself a Norman place name.

1928peak year
No. 47best rank (1926)
247,075babies since 1880
No. 958rank in 2025

Popularity, 1880–2025

Babies named Melvin per year — peak 4,249▬ girls ▬ boys18801900192019401960198020002020

Melvin appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1901 to 1955. Its biggest year was 1928, when 4,249 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 48 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1926, at No. 47. In 2025 it ranked No. 958 for boys. All told, 247,075 Americans have been given the name since 1880.

Related names

Other spellings on record: Melvyn (4,370), Melven (511) (total births since 1880)

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By the decade

DecadeBirthsBest rank
1880s960No. 125
1890s1,325No. 106
1900s2,840No. 71
1910s21,739No. 56
1920s40,583No. 47
1930s37,705No. 50
1940s39,236No. 53
1950s36,165No. 87
1960s23,093No. 125
1970s13,126No. 170
1980s9,431No. 218
1990s6,983No. 277
2000s6,296No. 315
2010s3,705No. 556
2020s1,749No. 752

Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.

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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.