Baby Name Popularity Profile

Melvin

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Melvin.

✦ Council friend 🌍 English, French traditional
National Rank (2025) #959
All-Time Peak Rank #47 Achieved 1926
Total U.S. Births 244,936 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 100.0% Boy / 0.0% Girl Male Archetype
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1920s 4,249 births in 1928
💡 The Melvin Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Council friend
Language Origin English, French
Origin Type multiple
Derived from the Scottish surname Melville (from Norman French 'Malleville' meaning 'bad town'), and also associated with Old English elements *mæthel* 'council' and *wine* 'friend'.
Common Nicknames
Mel Vin
Alternative Spellings
Melvyn
Pronunciation: MEL-vin
Themes & Categories
traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Melvin

According to SSA data, Melvin achieved its highest historical rank of #47 in 1926. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1928 with 4,249 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 33.4%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Melvin across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -33.4% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 4,249 births in 1928
Years in Top 100 55 yrs
Years in Top 500 129 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 960
1890s: 1,325
1900s: 2,840
1910s: 21,739
1920s: 40,583
1930s: 37,705
1940s: 39,236
1950s: 36,165
1960s: 23,093
1970s: 13,126
1980s: 9,431
1990s: 6,983
2000s: 6,296
2010s: 3,705
2020s: 1,749

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Mel-vin
Letter Count 6 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 25.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 25.7% of SSA names. Starts with M, a letter used by only 7.6% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Melvin.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State District of Columbia
Top States District of Columbia, Hawaii, South Dakota, Mississippi, North Dakota
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
District of Columbia Unranked 2,453 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 1,649 1944 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 1,796 1918 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi Unranked 6,396 1955 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 1,560 1916 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #868 8,215 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #549 6,661 1926 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 2,996 1927 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas #570 4,283 1924 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina Unranked 5,810 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #712 8,987 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma Unranked 5,200 1925 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 4,030 1944 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #840 6,736 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #767 7,893 1924 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 1,013 1943 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa Unranked 4,293 1924 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina Unranked 9,169 1949 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #1315 8,777 1952 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 2,913 1939 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho Unranked 1,166 1939 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #625 5,917 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 362 1939 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois Unranked 12,723 1926 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota Unranked 4,564 1923 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #755 4,887 1923 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #1038 5,780 1927 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #367 12,884 1937 Stable
Michigan #754 8,794 1927 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #780 10,489 1929 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #509 3,938 1940 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon Unranked 1,869 1924 Insufficient historical volume
Utah Unranked 1,578 1934 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 1,030 1963 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #1281 14,430 1950 50.0% Decline
New York #828 13,995 1928 Insufficient historical volume
Washington Unranked 2,705 1942 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado Unranked 2,005 1930 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 321 1937 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 654 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #1240 5,021 1960 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #995 3,840 1928 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts Unranked 2,900 1922 Insufficient historical volume
California #1142 11,609 1943 37.9% Decline
Arizona Unranked 1,292 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 169 1942 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 120 1965 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut Unranked 907 1925 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 181 1916 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada Unranked 160 1942 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 131 1932 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Reuben Hollis Eugene Harold Howard Ernest Leroy Wallace Emory Ralph
👧 Sister Suggestions
Etta Lorraine Louise Ruthie Hellen Lenore Eunice Bennie Gladys Bethel

🔗 Names You Might Also Like

Based on statistical similarity and shared characteristics with Melvin:

Demographic & Volume Peers
Marvin Milton Merlin Mervin Morton Merton Melton Malvin Merwin Manson
More traditional Names
Browse all traditional names → Browse English names →

🗂️ Browse More Baby Names

Explore our name indexes and data tracks:

👦 Top Boy Names → 2-Syllable Names → 6-Letter Names → More Perennial Favorite Names → English Origin Names → traditional Names → Names Peaking in 1928 → 🗺️ Regional State Data →