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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201961peak #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 1961

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedAKMaine: #224 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,182 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedNHWashington: #182 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 1,231 boysWAIdaho: #134 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 601 boysIDMontana: #209 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,283 boysMTNorth Dakota: #155 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 908 boysNDMinnesota: #201 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 2,291 boysMNIllinois: #137 for boys · 137 births · 1 in 831 boysILWisconsin: #201 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 2,370 boysWIMichigan: #156 for boys · 80 births · 1 in 1,165 boysMINew York: #164 for boys · 145 births · 1 in 1,238 boysNYMassachusetts: #194 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 3,019 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedRIOregon: #182 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,171 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #170 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,108 boysSDIowa: #197 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,681 boysIAIndiana: #144 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 951 boysINOhio: #151 for boys · 106 births · 1 in 1,052 boysOHPennsylvania: #130 for boys · 122 births · 1 in 968 boysPANew Jersey: #149 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 1,191 boysNJConnecticut: #265 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,798 boysCTCalifornia: #187 for boys · 162 births · 1 in 1,167 boysCAUtah: #190 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,014 boysUTColorado: #165 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 999 boysCONebraska: #142 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 950 boysNEMissouri: #102 for boys · 88 births · 1 in 550 boysMOKentucky: #138 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 862 boysKYWest Virginia: #146 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 990 boysWVVirginia: #63 for boys · 146 births · 1 in 297 boysVAMaryland: #70 for boys · 94 births · 1 in 349 boysMDDelaware: #115 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 653 boysDEArizona: #150 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 678 boysAZNew Mexico: #116 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 532 boysNMKansas: #129 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 723 boysKSArkansas: #87 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 384 boysARTennessee: #98 for boys · 82 births · 1 in 481 boysTNNorth Carolina: #85 for boys · 133 births · 1 in 397 boysNCSouth Carolina: #69 for boys · 101 births · 1 in 281 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #55 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 297 boysDCOklahoma: #117 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 588 boysOKLouisiana: #71 for boys · 153 births · 1 in 270 boysLAMississippi: #45 for boys · 141 births · 1 in 192 boysMSAlabama: #81 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 364 boysALGeorgia: #81 for boys · 147 births · 1 in 325 boysGAHawaii: #88 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 340 boysHITexas: #155 for boys · 158 births · 1 in 757 boysTXFlorida: #121 for boys · 96 births · 1 in 573 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#45 · 1 in 192
  2. District of Columbia#55 · 1 in 297
  3. Virginia#63 · 1 in 297
  4. South Carolina#69 · 1 in 281
  5. Maryland#70 · 1 in 349

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#451411 in 192
District of Columbia#55501 in 297
Virginia#631461 in 297
South Carolina#691011 in 281
Maryland#70941 in 349
Louisiana#711531 in 270
Alabama#811031 in 364
Georgia#811471 in 325
North Carolina#851331 in 397
Arkansas#87511 in 384
Hawaii#88221 in 340
Tennessee#98821 in 481
Missouri#102881 in 550
Delaware#11581 in 653
New Mexico#116251 in 532
Oklahoma#117401 in 588
Florida#121961 in 573
Kansas#129311 in 723
Pennsylvania#1301221 in 968
Idaho#134121 in 601
Illinois#1371371 in 831
Kentucky#138401 in 862
Nebraska#142171 in 950
Indiana#144571 in 951
West Virginia#146191 in 990
New Jersey#149531 in 1,191
Arizona#150251 in 678
Ohio#1511061 in 1,052
North Dakota#15581 in 908
Texas#1551581 in 757
Michigan#156801 in 1,165
New York#1641451 in 1,238
Colorado#165221 in 999
South Dakota#17071 in 1,108
Oregon#182151 in 1,171
Washington#182251 in 1,231
California#1871621 in 1,167
Utah#190121 in 1,014
Massachusetts#194191 in 3,019
Iowa#197181 in 1,681
Minnesota#201181 in 2,291
Wisconsin#201201 in 2,370
Montana#20961 in 1,283
Maine#22451 in 2,182
Connecticut#26571 in 3,798
Alaska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

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 1961

girls
#2,359
26 births · 1 in 77,634 girls
boys
#128
2,842 births · 1 in 747 boys

Top girls' names in 1961

  1. #1Mary47,682
  2. #2Lisa42,720
  3. #3Susan37,532
  4. #4Linda35,597
  5. #5Karen34,707
  6. #6Patricia28,889
  7. #7Donna28,679
  8. #8Cynthia24,393
  9. #9Sandra24,153
  10. #10Deborah24,107
  11. #2,359Melvin26

Top boys' names in 1961

  1. #1Michael86,974
  2. #2David84,810
  3. #3John79,983
  4. #4James75,969
  5. #5Robert72,977
  6. #6Mark57,796
  7. #7William48,045
  8. #8Richard41,142
  9. #9Thomas37,565
  10. #10Steven32,275
  11. #128Melvin2,842
More about 1961

girls

2,018,495 girls got a published name in 1961; 1 in 77,634 of them was named Melvin, which outranked 68.7% of the 7,527 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melvin
  1. #2,299Wayne27
  2. #2,299Wendee27
  3. #2,299Yulonda27
  4. #2,359Melvin26
  5. #2,359Alejandra26
  6. #2,359Allen26
  7. #2,359Alycia26
  8. #2,411Alisia25
  9. #2,411Arlean25
  10. #2,411Arthur25

Tied with 51 names at #2,359; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1960
Risers
  1. ↑ 997Corinna#1,811 → #814
  2. ↑ 789Sabra#1,637 → #848
  3. ↑ 745Velvet#1,286 → #541
  4. ↑ 601Johnna#1,043 → #442
  5. ↑ 600Damita#1,597 → #997
Fallers
  1. ↓ 317Sheena#980 → #1,297
  2. ↓ 253Lita#909 → #1,162
  3. ↓ 241Jannette#970 → #1,211
  4. ↓ 229Francisca#939 → #1,168
  5. ↓ 214Andra#822 → #1,036

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

boys

2,124,195 boys got a published name in 1961; 1 in 747 of them was named Melvin, which outranked 97.3% of the 4,657 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melvin
  1. #125Kelly3,011
  2. #126Ray2,920
  3. #127Calvin2,867
  4. #128Melvin2,842
  5. #129Kurt2,827
  6. #130Dave2,802
  7. #131Harry2,749
Biggest movers since 1960
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,171Parrish#4,038 → #867
  2. ↑ 589Brook#1,252 → #663
  3. ↑ 467Osvaldo#1,434 → #967
  4. ↑ 426Shayne#1,152 → #726
  5. ↑ 367Pernell#1,295 → #928
Fallers
  1. ↓ 425Wayde#672 → #1,097
  2. ↓ 380Yancy#923 → #1,303
  3. ↓ 301Jonas#905 → #1,206
  4. ↓ 264Tobin#833 → #1,097
  5. ↓ 253Keenan#748 → #1,001

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

See the top 100 for 1961 →