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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201959peak #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 1959

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedAKMaine: #214 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,128 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedNHWashington: #160 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 983 boysWAIdaho: #144 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 690 boysIDMontana: #175 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 976 boysMTNorth Dakota: #188 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,261 boysNDMinnesota: #204 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 2,225 boysMNIllinois: #129 for boys · 148 births · 1 in 786 boysILWisconsin: #174 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,829 boysWIMichigan: #124 for boys · 119 births · 1 in 811 boysMINew York: #156 for boys · 156 births · 1 in 1,160 boysNYMassachusetts: #214 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 3,762 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedRIOregon: #145 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 857 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Melvin, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #170 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,014 boysSDIowa: #190 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,632 boysIAIndiana: #114 for boys · 81 births · 1 in 677 boysINOhio: #109 for boys · 164 births · 1 in 691 boysOHPennsylvania: #129 for boys · 132 births · 1 in 922 boysPANew Jersey: #140 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 1,136 boysNJConnecticut: #178 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,902 boysCTCalifornia: #187 for boys · 147 births · 1 in 1,222 boysCAUtah: #171 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 913 boysUTColorado: #178 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,121 boysCONebraska: #147 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,077 boysNEMissouri: #97 for boys · 98 births · 1 in 503 boysMOKentucky: #109 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 646 boysKYWest Virginia: #126 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 743 boysWVVirginia: #73 for boys · 130 births · 1 in 332 boysVAMaryland: #73 for boys · 87 births · 1 in 378 boysMDDelaware: #104 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 577 boysDEArizona: #136 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 577 boysAZNew Mexico: #140 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 635 boysNMKansas: #124 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 643 boysKSArkansas: #65 for boys · 68 births · 1 in 288 boysARTennessee: #82 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 387 boysTNNorth Carolina: #70 for boys · 164 births · 1 in 321 boysNCSouth Carolina: #79 for boys · 85 births · 1 in 336 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #76 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 372 boysDCOklahoma: #114 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 585 boysOKLouisiana: #69 for boys · 156 births · 1 in 273 boysLAMississippi: #39 for boys · 173 births · 1 in 160 boysMSAlabama: #71 for boys · 124 births · 1 in 310 boysALGeorgia: #63 for boys · 176 births · 1 in 273 boysGAHawaii: #119 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 447 boysHITexas: #137 for boys · 189 births · 1 in 652 boysTXFlorida: #115 for boys · 99 births · 1 in 542 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#39 · 1 in 160
  2. Georgia#63 · 1 in 273
  3. Arkansas#65 · 1 in 288
  4. Louisiana#69 · 1 in 273
  5. North Carolina#70 · 1 in 321

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#391731 in 160
Georgia#631761 in 273
Arkansas#65681 in 288
Louisiana#691561 in 273
North Carolina#701641 in 321
Alabama#711241 in 310
Maryland#73871 in 378
Virginia#731301 in 332
District of Columbia#76401 in 372
South Carolina#79851 in 336
Tennessee#821031 in 387
Missouri#97981 in 503
Delaware#10491 in 577
Kentucky#109561 in 646
Ohio#1091641 in 691
Indiana#114811 in 677
Oklahoma#114411 in 585
Florida#115991 in 542
Hawaii#119161 in 447
Kansas#124371 in 643
Michigan#1241191 in 811
West Virginia#126271 in 743
Illinois#1291481 in 786
Pennsylvania#1291321 in 922
Arizona#136281 in 577
Texas#1371891 in 652
New Jersey#140541 in 1,136
New Mexico#140211 in 635
Idaho#144111 in 690
Oregon#145201 in 857
Nebraska#147151 in 1,077
New York#1561561 in 1,160
Washington#160321 in 983
South Dakota#17081 in 1,014
Utah#171131 in 913
Wisconsin#174261 in 1,829
Montana#17581 in 976
Colorado#178191 in 1,121
Connecticut#178141 in 1,902
California#1871471 in 1,222
North Dakota#18861 in 1,261
Iowa#190191 in 1,632
Minnesota#204191 in 2,225
Maine#21451 in 2,128
Massachusetts#214151 in 3,762
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 1959

girls
#2,678
19 births · 1 in 106,498 girls
boys
#122
3,170 births · 1 in 673 boys

Top girls' names in 1959

  1. #1Mary54,502
  2. #2Susan41,617
  3. #3Linda40,410
  4. #4Karen36,784
  5. #5Donna36,468
  6. #6Patricia35,223
  7. #7Debra31,388
  8. #8Cynthia30,186
  9. #9Deborah29,546
  10. #10Lisa25,699
  11. #2,678Melvin19

Top boys' names in 1959

  1. #1Michael85,294
  2. #2David83,977
  3. #3James78,648
  4. #4John76,446
  5. #5Robert74,542
  6. #6Mark56,945
  7. #7William51,386
  8. #8Richard47,202
  9. #9Thomas40,296
  10. #10Steven33,597
  11. #122Melvin3,170
More about 1959

girls

2,023,462 girls got a published name in 1959; 1 in 106,498 of them was named Melvin, which outranked 62.8% of the 7,202 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melvin
  1. #2,596Vincenza20
  2. #2,596Winnifred20
  3. #2,596Yetta20
  4. #2,678Melvin19
  5. #2,678Adelle19
  6. #2,678Angelyn19
  7. #2,678Angi19
  8. #2,760Alan18
  9. #2,760Alejandra18
  10. #2,760Alix18

Tied with 81 names at #2,678; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1958
Risers
  1. 1,090Alesia#1,985#895
  2. 948Tori#1,791#843
  3. 440Taryn#1,211#771
  4. 437Venus#1,007#570
  5. 393Vilma#1,364#971
Fallers
  1. 283Dani#961#1,244
  2. 257Nicki#973#1,230
  3. 235Lanita#973#1,208
  4. 219Concetta#973#1,192
  5. 197Gisele#766#963

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

boys

2,134,518 boys got a published name in 1959; 1 in 673 of them was named Melvin, which outranked 97.3% of the 4,572 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melvin
  1. #119Dave3,308
  2. #120Harry3,271
  3. #121Ray3,219
  4. #122Melvin3,170
  5. #123Marvin3,167
  6. #124Jonathan3,082
  7. #125Calvin3,033
Biggest movers since 1958
Risers
  1. 2,208Efrem#3,033#825
  2. 901Darin#1,677#776
  3. 871Yancy#1,557#686
  4. 708Raynard#1,677#969
  5. 644Darrin#1,396#752
Fallers
  1. 307Jace#761#1,068
  2. 241Otha#915#1,156
  3. 234Cheryl#994#1,228
  4. 230Dann#969#1,199
  5. 227Carnell#777#1,004

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

See the top 100 for 1959