Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Melvin

Melvin or Melvyn most likely developed in Scotland, derived from the Norman-Scot surname Melville. This surname was brought to Scotland by the Normans as early as the 12th century. It started out as a French-Norman baronial name with roots in northern France from a place name so-called “Malleville” (meaning “bad town”) in reference to the infertile land upon which the settlement was founded. The most famous name bearer of the surname is Herman Melville, author of the great American classic “Moby-Dick” (published in 1851). It’s uncertain exactly when the Scots converted Melville into the personal name Melvin, but it did spread to other English speaking countries in the 19th century. Today, Melvin is quite popular in Sweden, but it also appears on the charts in France, the Netherlands and the United States.

All About the Baby Name – Melvin

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MELVIN

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME MELVIN

This quirky off-beat name has been more popular in America than one might have assumed. At the turn of the 20th century, back in 1901, Melvin secured a spot on the Top 100 list of most commonly used boy names in the country. The name remained a Top 100 choice for 55 consecutive years (finally falling off in 1956). The height of Melvin’s popularity really came during the 1920s when he hovered around the Top 50 list. When you look at the chart below, you can see that Melvin really started his noticeable decent down the charts in the 1960s; a decline which has continued to this day. Due to the time period when Melvin was achieving most of his usage (over 80 years ago), most people consider it an “old man” name. It’s like Morris or Murray; they’re just too nerdy old-fashioned by today’s naming standards. In fact, Melvin is a generic term for a nerd and a “Melvin” is also another term kids use to describe underwear “wedgies”. We’re surprised that Melville hasn’t replaced Melvin yet. American parents are drawn to surnames as forenames and Melville also has quite a bit of literary cachet (another emerging trend when it comes to naming children in America today).

Quick Facts

ON MELVIN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

French

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

620

PRONUNCIATION:

MEL-vin

SIMPLE MEANING:

Bad town

Characteristics

OF MELVIN

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Melvin

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MELVIN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Melvin

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MELVIN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Melvin


Popular Songs

ON MELVIN

I, Melvin
a song by NOFX

Famous People

NAMED MELVIN

Melvin Belli (attorney)
Mel Brooks (director/producer/actor)
Mel Blanc (voiceover actor)
Mel Gibson (actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED MELVIN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Melvin

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MELVIN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Melvin