Melvin

• Origin: English, Scottish
• Gender: Male
• Meaning: unknown
• Usage: Dutch, French, German, Latin-American Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish
• First Est. 1780s
• Variations: Malvin, Melvyn, Melwin (Swedish)
• Short forms: Mel

From the transferred use of a Scottish surname of uncertain origin, the most popular theory is that it is a variation of Melville, which is from an Anglo-Norman surname meaning, “bad city.”

It came into widespread use in the English-speaking world by the late 18th-century, and became relatively popular in North America by the early 20th-century. Melvin appeared in the U.S. Top 100 between 1901-1955, peaking at #47 in 1926. It currently comes in as the 958th most popular male name (2025). Melvin appeared in the Canadian charts around the same time frame, peaking at #70 in 1939. Interestingly enough, it never charted in the U.K. charts.

Its usage spread outside the English-speaking world, including Finland, German-speaking countries, Latin America, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and France. It minimally charted in the Dutch charts between 2008-2012, peaking at #278 in 2008, and the French charts between 1989-2014, where it peaked at #115 in the year 2000. It has recently experienced popularity in Sweden, where it has appeared in the Swedish Top 100 since 2001, it peaked at #26 in 2006 and currently ranks in at #67 (2025).

Its rise in Sweden appears to have coincided with a wider trend for names ending in -vin that were popular around the same time period. However, its earliest documented usage in the Nordic countries was in Norway in the 1890s.

Notable bearers include American voice actor Melvin “Mel” Blanc (1908–1989), best known as the voice of numerous Looney Tunes characters; American singer and composer Melvin “Mel” Tormé (1925–1999); American filmmaker, actor and writer Melvin Van Peebles (1932–2021); and American biochemist Melvin Calvin (1911–1997), who received the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on photosynthesis.

Sister Names: Ada(h), Alberta, Alva, Belva, Beulah, Blanche, Cleora, Constance, Darla, Dolores, Doris, Erma, Ernestine, Ethel, Fay(e), Fern, Frances, Geraldine, Gerta, Gladys, Harriet, Hilda, Hilma, Ida, Imogene, Irma, Jeanne/Jean, June, Kitty, Laverne, Lois, Lula, Mabel, Mildred, Myrtle, Nellie, Nettie, Norma, Olive, Opal, Queenie, Pearl, Phyllis, Rhoda, Roberta, Ruby, Sadie, Sally, Salma/Selma, Theda, Thelma, Uma, Velma, Verna, Virginia, Wanda, Wilma, Winifred, Ylva, Zelda, Zetta, Zona

Brother Names: Albert. Alton, Arnold, Beauregard, Bert/Burt/Burton, Byron, Clarence, Clifford, Curtis, Dale, Delbert, Dewey, Elmer, Elton, Ernest, Floyd, Gary, Glen(n), Grover, Horace, Howard, Hubert, Ira, Irvin(g), Leroy, Lester, Lonnie, Merle, Milton, Nelson, Neville, Norman, Orville, Otis, Roy, Stanley, Troy, Truman, Vernon, Virgil, Wilbur, Wilson, Woodrow

Sources

• https://www.behindthename.com/name/melvin
• https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/naam/is/Melvin
• https://meilleursprenoms.com/prenom/Melvin
• https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Melvin