Total births
2,269
Boys' name · since 1880
Melville
2,269 babies named Melville in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 2,269
- total births
- 1880–1981
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- born in that decade
Melville is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 2,269 have been recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Melville recorded 2,269 times among boys since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1981.
- 2,269 total births
- 1880–1981 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 23% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
2,269 boys have been named Melville since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1981.
- 2,269
- total births
- 1880–1981
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Melville was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
77 babies were named Melville in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
Melville's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Melville's full recorded timeline at 1929, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1971, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 77 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Melville at a glance
Last recorded 1981Peak year
1918
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Melville popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1981
- Peak year (1918)
- 77
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Melville popularity over time - girls
14 total births recorded since 1920 (Melville as girls' name)
Melville by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Melville's strongest decade.
526 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Melville births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 110
1880s
110 births
- 1890s 115
1890s
115 births
- 1900s 116
1900s
116 births
- 1910s
1910s
491 births
- 1920s
1920s
526 births
- 1930s
1930s
337 births
- 1940s
1940s
255 births
- 1950s 164
1950s
164 births
- 1960s 100
1960s
100 births
- 1970s 50
1970s
50 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 526 births (23% of all-time use).
How Melville compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Melville's total volume
Melville vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Melville by state
Where Melville concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 209 | 9.2% |
| #2 | California | | 52 | 2.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 49 | 2.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 18 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 16 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 7 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 0.3% |
New York share of Melville's total US births 9.2%
Even split
209 of 2,269 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Melville appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melville? ▼
2,269 babies have been named Melville since 1880. It was last recorded in 1981. The peak year was 1918 with 77 births.
When was Melville most popular? ▼
Melville was most popular in the 1920s decade with 526 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Melville most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Melville are New York (209 births), California (52 births), Illinois (49 births).
How long has the name Melville been used? ▼
Melville has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 102 years of data through 1981.
What names are similar to Melville? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Melvin, Melvyn, Melton, Mel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Melville's data
- Melville's decade-level peak was the 1920s (526 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Melvilles (209 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Melville
Nearby Names Like Melville
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melville
Melvin Boy
#871 244,936 births
Melvyn Boy
4,360 births
Melton Boy
4,235 births
Mel Boy
#8349 3,693 births
Melissa Boy
2,495 births
Compare Melville side by side: Melville vs Melvin Melville vs Melvyn Melville vs Melton
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–1981 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Melville: Baby Name Since 1880 - 2,269 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/melville. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Melville draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.