Boys' name · since 1912
Melvyn
Melvyn has 4,360 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1938 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,952 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 4,360
- born since 1912
- 1940s
- peak decade
4,360 boys have been named Melvyn since 1912, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melvyn has been recorded 4,360 times among boys since 1912, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2023.
- #1,952 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 4,360 born since 1912
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melvyn ranks #1,952 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,360 born since 1912, peaking in the 1940s.
- #1,952 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 4,360
- born since 1912
- 1940s
- peak decade
Melvyn's 4,360 recorded births place it above 95.7% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
Melvyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Melvyn's full recorded timeline at 1966, 14% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 86% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1912, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1938 peak of 293 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Melvyn popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2023
- Peak year (1938)
- 293
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Melvyn popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1929 (Melvyn as girls' name)
Melvyn by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (1,503 births, 34% of the file).
1940s was Melvyn's strongest decade.
1,503 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Melvyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 136
1910s
136 births
- 1920s 398
1920s
398 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,329 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,503 births
- 1950s 275
1950s
275 births
- 1960s 208
1960s
208 births
- 1970s 118
1970s
118 births
- 1980s 95
1980s
95 births
- 1990s 75
1990s
75 births
- 2000s 130
2000s
130 births
- 2010s 59
2010s
59 births
- 2020s 34
2020s
34 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 1,503 births (34% of all-time use).
How Melvyn 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 Melvyn's total volume
Melvyn by state
Where Melvyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 885 | 20.3% |
| #2 | California | | 256 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 222 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 188 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 119 | 2.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 92 | 2.1% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 89 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Hawaii | | 87 | 2.0% |
885 of 4,360 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Melvyn appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melvyn? ▼
Where does Melvyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Melvyn most popular? ▼
Where is Melvyn most popular? ▼
How long has the name Melvyn been used? ▼
What names are similar to Melvyn? ▼
What to do with Melvyn's data
- Melvyn's decade-level peak was the 1940s (1,503 total births); usage has since declined to 34 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Melvyns (885 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Melvyn
Nearby Names Like Melvyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melvyn
Compare Melvyn side by side: Melvyn vs Melvin Melvyn vs Melton Melvyn vs Mel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Melvyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1938)
Similar record span (~111 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1912–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Melvyn 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 August 2026.