Total births
244,936
Boys' name · since 1880
Melvin
Melvin has 244,936 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1928 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #871
- among boys today
- 244,936
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Melvin is the #871 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 244,936 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melvin has been recorded 244,936 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #871 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #871 among boys today
- 244,936 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Melvin is currently the #871 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 244,936 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #871
- among boys today
- 244,936
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Melvin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#871
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Melvin was born in this single decade.
1928
Single peak year
4,249 babies were named Melvin in 1928 - its busiest year on record.
How Melvin compares
244,936 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Melvin's all-time total is 667x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Melvin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 244,936 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 4,249 | 23 | 22,252 |
Melvin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Melvin splits its recorded history at 1953: 36% of all births land in the more recent half, 64% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (76 births) -- compare that against the 1928 peak of 4,249 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Melvin at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1928
Current rank
#871
Active since
1880
Melvin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1928)
- 4,249
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Melvin popularity over time - girls
2,139 total births recorded since 1895 (Melvin as girls' name)
Melvin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Melvin's strongest decade.
40,583 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Melvin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 960
1880s
960 births
- 1890s 1,325
1890s
1,325 births
- 1900s 2,840
1900s
2,840 births
- 1910s
1910s
21,739 births
- 1920s
1920s
40,583 births
- 1930s
1930s
37,705 births
- 1940s
1940s
39,236 births
- 1950s
1950s
36,165 births
- 1960s
1960s
23,093 births
- 1970s 13,126
1970s
13,126 births
- 1980s 9,431
1980s
9,431 births
- 1990s 6,983
1990s
6,983 births
- 2000s 6,296
2000s
6,296 births
- 2010s 3,705
2010s
3,705 births
- 2020s 1,749
2020s
1,749 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 40,583 births (17% of all-time use).
How Melvin 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 Melvin's total volume
Melvin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Melvin by state
Where Melvin concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 14,430 | 5.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 13,995 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 12,884 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 12,723 | 5.2% |
| #5 | California | | 11,609 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 10,489 | 4.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 9,169 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 8,987 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Melvin's total US births 5.9%
Even split
14,430 of 244,936 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Melvin appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melvin? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 244,936 babies named Melvin. Today it holds rank #871 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1928, with 4,249 births.
When was Melvin most popular? ▼
Melvin was most popular in the 1920s decade with 40,583 total births. The single peak year was 1928.
Where is Melvin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Melvin are Texas (14,430 births), New York (13,995 births), Pennsylvania (12,884 births).
How long has the name Melvin been used? ▼
Records for Melvin go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Melvin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Melvyn, Melton, Mel, Melissa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Melvin's data
- Melvin's decade-level peak was the 1920s (40,583 total births); usage has since declined to 1,749 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Melvins (14,430 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Melvin
Nearby Names Like Melvin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melvin
Melvyn Boy
4,360 births
Melton Boy
4,235 births
Mel Boy
#8349 3,693 births
Melissa Boy
2,495 births
Melville Boy
2,269 births
Compare Melvin side by side: Melvin vs Melvyn Melvin vs Melton Melvin vs Mel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Melvin
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Melvin: #871 Boys' Name - 244,936 Births, Peak 1928." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/melvin. 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 Melvin 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.