Melvin

Last seen for girls in 1991 at #13,147 · #958 for boys in 2025, 243 births
Given to boys 99.1% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1926 · 4,194 births
Debut · boys
103 births
In top 100 · boys
55 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
244,936
since 1880

Melvin over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201936peak #47, 1926boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#958243
2024—#871277
2023—#820299
2022—#827300
2021—#798307
2020—#752323
2019—#758314
2018—#718334
2017—#727328
2016—#727337
2015—#687365
2014—#664386
2013—#617402
2012—#618393
2011—#614390
2010—#556456
2009—#505535
2008—#467592
2007—#443633
2006—#423673
2005—#424627
2004—#426613
2003—#397656
2002—#315908
2001—#452534
2000—#455525
1999—#425555
1998—#413577
1997—#398590
1996—#395598
1995—#365657
1994—#351699
1993—#341729
1992—#324784
1991#13,1475#299853
1990#9,2478#277941
1989#8,7618#275900
1988#6,27712#263892
1987#7,3539#264824
1986#5,75712#258862
1985#6,03111#249907
1984#5,89911#241908
1983#8,0477#236948
1982#4,94514#2261,035
1981#8,1287#2271,052
1980#4,14818#2181,103
1979#4,23117#2041,158
1978#4,93113#1971,162
1977#4,42515#1991,144
1976#3,40720#1901,165
1975#4,37014#1871,208
1974#2,83525#1901,197
1973#4,87111#1701,380
1972#4,52312#1711,456
1971#2,95523#1721,578
1970#2,57728#1711,678
1969#3,01220#1621,770
1968#3,45615#1501,798
1967#2,78120#1501,844
1966#2,66821#1422,044
1965#2,53823#1382,230
1964#2,41226#1342,432
1963#2,30627#1332,545
1962#1,94735#1372,577
1961#2,35926#1282,842
1960#2,15029#1253,011
1959#2,67819#1223,170
1958#2,37623#1223,149
1957#2,06728#1133,397
1956#2,19425#1013,638
1955#1,83933#953,646
1954#1,70236#923,711
1953#1,83430#913,811
1952#1,61136#913,920
1951#2,06423#883,837
1950#1,52437#873,886
1949#1,56435#823,972
1948#1,90125#814,057
1947#1,63334#854,169
1946#1,58331#863,742
1945#1,66025#783,408
1944#1,40133#673,745
1943#1,44233#634,069
1942#1,59227#604,188
1941#1,44629#563,951
1940#1,21836#533,935
1939#1,32731#513,853
1938#1,54724#543,818
1937#1,49325#503,890
1936#1,11540#533,730
1935#1,60622#573,600
1934#1,29231#553,702
1933#1,19735#513,588
1932#1,23734#513,776
1931#1,19936#513,700
1930#1,08446#504,048
1929#1,17440#494,100
1928#94762#484,249
1927#1,17243#484,202
1926#1,35734#474,194
1925#1,40933#504,146
1924#1,06953#484,168
1923#1,15844#484,012
1922#1,16843#503,908
1921#1,22240#533,887
1920#1,28236#543,717
1919#1,48128#563,384
1918#1,41130#563,469
1917#1,55224#573,155
1916#1,58123#572,984
1915#1,80018#602,780
1914#1,17527#592,064
1913#1,60114#611,642
1912#1,35216#711,185
1911#1,45011#73594
1910#1,26713#75482
1909#1,4719#71448
1908#1,8626#75366
1907#1,6397#78331
1906—#82285
1905#1,9315#83291
1904—#92234
1903—#88230
1902#1,5946#86248
1901—#97176
1900—#102231
1899—#106166
1898—#115159
1897#1,5555#129128
1896—#115158
1895#1,5925#111158
1894—#128125
1893—#137111
1892—#144114
1891—#126108
1890—#14698
1889—#15097
1888—#131119
1887—#13495
1886—#16883
1885—#125110
1884—#14595
1883—#12996
1882—#15986
1881—#15976
1880—#126103
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Melvin was already there! It came in at #126, and was given to 103 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1887, when fewer than 120 boys a year got the name.

Where Melvin is popular in 1936

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedAKMaine: #102 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 479 boysMEVermont: #85 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 408 boysVTNew Hampshire: #72 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 342 boysNHWashington: #40 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 181 boysWAIdaho: #36 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 150 boysIDMontana: #50 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 185 boysMTNorth Dakota: #47 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 189 boysNDMinnesota: #55 for boys · 82 births · 1 in 254 boysMNIllinois: #53 for boys · 194 births · 1 in 270 boysILWisconsin: #51 for boys · 92 births · 1 in 257 boysWIMichigan: #50 for boys · 163 births · 1 in 244 boysMINew York: #66 for boys · 232 births · 1 in 362 boysNYMassachusetts: #78 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 634 boysMARhode Island: #70 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 524 boysRIOregon: #55 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 251 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedNVWyoming: #34 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 151 boysWYSouth Dakota: #32 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 129 boysSDIowa: #39 for boys · 104 births · 1 in 187 boysIAIndiana: #48 for boys · 100 births · 1 in 239 boysINOhio: #56 for boys · 153 births · 1 in 311 boysOHPennsylvania: #64 for boys · 204 births · 1 in 351 boysPANew Jersey: #83 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 617 boysNJConnecticut: #77 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 608 boysCTCalifornia: #80 for boys · 101 births · 1 in 377 boysCAUtah: #37 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 156 boysUTColorado: #42 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 186 boysCONebraska: #37 for boys · 65 births · 1 in 159 boysNEMissouri: #41 for boys · 138 births · 1 in 190 boysMOKentucky: #71 for boys · 72 births · 1 in 351 boysKYWest Virginia: #51 for boys · 70 births · 1 in 257 boysWVVirginia: #38 for boys · 131 births · 1 in 167 boysVAMaryland: #27 for boys · 82 births · 1 in 138 boysMDDelaware: #37 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 157 boysDEArizona: #84 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 321 boysAZNew Mexico: #115 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 429 boysNMKansas: #26 for boys · 100 births · 1 in 135 boysKSArkansas: #66 for boys · 58 births · 1 in 291 boysARTennessee: #63 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 336 boysTNNorth Carolina: #54 for boys · 125 births · 1 in 272 boysNCSouth Carolina: #47 for boys · 86 births · 1 in 215 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #30 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 156 boysDCOklahoma: #36 for boys · 127 births · 1 in 167 boysOKLouisiana: #42 for boys · 105 births · 1 in 186 boysLAMississippi: #47 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 220 boysMSAlabama: #53 for boys · 97 births · 1 in 277 boysALGeorgia: #51 for boys · 112 births · 1 in 255 boysGAHawaii: #36 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 127 boysHITexas: #48 for boys · 226 births · 1 in 246 boysTXFlorida: #72 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 357 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Kansas#26 · 1 in 135
  2. Maryland#27 · 1 in 138
  3. District of Columbia#30 · 1 in 156
  4. South Dakota#32 · 1 in 129
  5. Wyoming#34 · 1 in 151

Best ever in a state: #11 in Hawaii, 1943.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Kansas#261001 in 135
Maryland#27821 in 138
District of Columbia#30291 in 156
South Dakota#32411 in 129
Wyoming#34111 in 151
Hawaii#36221 in 127
Idaho#36271 in 150
Oklahoma#361271 in 167
Delaware#3791 in 157
Nebraska#37651 in 159
Utah#37311 in 156
Virginia#381311 in 167
Iowa#391041 in 187
Washington#40561 in 181
Missouri#411381 in 190
Colorado#42451 in 186
Louisiana#421051 in 186
Mississippi#47901 in 220
North Dakota#47301 in 189
South Carolina#47861 in 215
Indiana#481001 in 239
Texas#482261 in 246
Michigan#501631 in 244
Montana#50221 in 185
Georgia#511121 in 255
West Virginia#51701 in 257
Wisconsin#51921 in 257
Alabama#53971 in 277
Illinois#531941 in 270
North Carolina#541251 in 272
Minnesota#55821 in 254
Oregon#55241 in 251
Ohio#561531 in 311
Tennessee#63761 in 336
Pennsylvania#642041 in 351
Arkansas#66581 in 291
New York#662321 in 362
Rhode Island#7081 in 524
Kentucky#71721 in 351
Florida#72351 in 357
New Hampshire#7291 in 342
Connecticut#77161 in 608
Massachusetts#78441 in 634
California#801011 in 377
New Jersey#83391 in 617
Arizona#84131 in 321
Vermont#8561 in 408
Maine#102131 in 479
New Mexico#115121 in 429
Alaska———
Nevada———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Melvin
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 87 spots since 2024 (#871 → #958)
  • 206 spots since 2020 (#752 → #958)
  • 271 spots since 2015 (#687 → #958)
  • Biggest jump: 137 spots in 2002 (#452 → #315)
  • Biggest drop: 87 spots in 2025 (#871 → #958)
Rise & fade · boys
46 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1926 at #47 (4,194 births)
  • Births halved by 1966, 40 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 55 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 55 yrs · run 1901–1955
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 261
  • Highest: 1 in 261 boys born in 1928 were named Melvin (0.38%)
  • Latest: 1 in 7,029 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
  • Its best rank, #47 in 1926, was only 1 in 265 (0.38%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 16.6% of all boys named Melvin (40,583) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s960#125 (1885)#143
1890s1,325#106 (1899)#126
1900s2,840#71 (1909)#85
1910s21,739#56 (1918)#63
1920s40,583#47 (1926)#50
1930s37,705#50 (1930)#52
1940s39,236#53 (1940)#71
1950s36,165#87 (1950)#100
1960s23,093#125 (1960)#140
1970s13,126#170 (1973)#185
1980s9,431#218 (1980)#246
1990s6,983#277 (1990)#359
2000s6,296#315 (2002)#431
2010s3,705#556 (2010)#669
2020s1,749#752 (2020)#838

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Melvin in 1936

girls
#1,115
40 births · 1 in 26,010 girls
boys
#53
3,730 births · 1 in 278 boys

Top girls' names in 1936

  1. #1Mary54,377
  2. #2Shirley35,161
  3. #3Barbara31,682
  4. #4Betty25,868
  5. #5Patricia23,916
  6. #6Dorothy17,666
  7. #7Joan17,072
  8. #8Nancy16,755
  9. #9Margaret14,596
  10. #10Carol14,520
  11. #1,115Melvin40

Top boys' names in 1936

  1. #1Robert58,500
  2. #2James54,694
  3. #3John47,683
  4. #4William39,398
  5. #5Richard33,494
  6. #6Charles29,101
  7. #7Donald28,639
  8. #8Thomas18,342
  9. #9George18,197
  10. #10David17,476
  11. #53Melvin3,730
More about 1936

girls

1,040,390 girls got a published name in 1936; 1 in 26,010 of them was named Melvin, which outranked 77.0% of the 4,856 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melvin
  1. #1,096Velia41
  2. #1,096Versie41
  3. #1,096Viva41
  4. #1,115Melvin40
  5. #1,115Adelia40
  6. #1,115Anastasia40
  7. #1,115Ceola40
  8. #1,135Angelica39
  9. #1,135Arnetta39
  10. #1,135Cara39

Tied with 19 names at #1,115; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1935
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,238Shelba#3,742 → #504
  2. ↑ 662Shelby#840 → #178
  3. ↑ 600Wendy#1,418 → #818
  4. ↑ 588Deanna#1,356 → #768
  5. ↑ 546Shari#1,514 → #968
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,028Norita#713 → #1,741
  2. ↓ 506Vernetta#974 → #1,480
  3. ↓ 461Ozella#984 → #1,445
  4. ↓ 400Shirleyann#896 → #1,296
  5. ↓ 342Idell#925 → #1,267

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,037,205 boys got a published name in 1936; 1 in 278 of them was named Melvin, which outranked 98.7% of the 4,037 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melvin
  1. #50Francis3,876
  2. #51Don3,830
  3. #52Clarence3,772
  4. #53Melvin3,730
  5. #54Leonard3,716
  6. #55Ernest3,715
  7. #56Peter3,714
Biggest movers since 1935
Risers
  1. ↑ 802Errol#1,708 → #906
  2. ↑ 644Sergio#1,584 → #940
  3. ↑ 601Brice#1,494 → #893
  4. ↑ 537Windell#1,390 → #853
  5. ↑ 529Kim#1,390 → #861
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,082Stafford#980 → #2,062
  2. ↓ 889Darwyn#750 → #1,639
  3. ↓ 461Hunter#956 → #1,417
  4. ↓ 399Orvil#844 → #1,243
  5. ↓ 370Rosendo#956 → #1,326

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1936 →