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Melvin

Melvin is a boy's name of French origin meaning “bad and settlement.” In 2024 it was given to 275 boys in the United States.

Melvin at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
French
Meaning
“bad and settlement”
Pronunciation
/ˈmɛlvɪn/
Also spelled
Melville

About the name Melvin

Melvin belongs to the French tradition. Its meaning — “bad and settlement” — is the sense carried by its French roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Melville.

In the United States, Melvin first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #47 in 1926, and in 2024 275 babies received the name — 244,676 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Melvin in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#47 in 1926
Peak year
1928
Babies named Melvin in 2024
275
Total since 1880
244,676

Spellings & short forms

Melville

Similar names

More names from the French shelf:

CharlesFrenchAndrewFrenchJeffreyFrenchGaryFrenchJustinFrenchRaymondFrenchHenryFrenchPatrickFrench

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Melvin mean?

Melvin means “bad and settlement” in its French roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Melvin a boy or girl name?

Melvin is a boy name. In 2024, 275 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Melvin?

Melvin comes from the French tradition. It is also spelled Melville.

How popular is the name Melvin?

Melvin first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #47 in 1926, and 275 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Melvin?

Melvin is pronounced /ˈmɛlvɪn/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.