How Many People Are Named Melvin?
An estimated 116,958 people in the United States have the first name Melvin. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #468 overall. It is predominantly male (99.1%). The average bearer is 61 years old, and Melvin peaked in popularity in 1928 with 4,311 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Melvin as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Melvin paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Melvin is overwhelmingly male, 2,139 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Melvin has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
116,958
About 1 in 2,931 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.1% confidence
Average Age
61
years old
Peak Year
1928
4,311 births
Total Registered
246,815
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Melvin
Melvin is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 246,815 total births registered, 99.1% were male.
Melvin as a male name
Ranked #872 in 2024
275 male births in 2024
Peak: 1928 (4,249 births)
Melvin as a female name
Ranked #14,573 in 1991
5 female births in 1991
Peak: 1928 (62 births)
Melvin: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Melvin span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 41,011 babies were registered. Melvin has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Melvin by Decade
How has Melvin tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 960 | 960 | 0 | |
| 1890s | 1,335 | 1,325 | 10 | |
| 1900s | 2,873 | 2,840 | 33 | |
| 1910s | 21,943 | 21,739 | 204 | |
| 1920s | 41,011 | 40,583 | 428 | |
| 1930s | 38,029 | 37,705 | 324 | |
| 1940s | 39,544 | 39,236 | 308 | |
| 1950s | 36,455 | 36,165 | 290 | |
| 1960s | 23,332 | 23,090 | 242 | |
| 1970s | 13,305 | 13,127 | 178 | |
| 1980s | 9,541 | 9,432 | 109 | |
| 1990s | 6,994 | 6,981 | 13 | |
| 2000s | 6,290 | 6,290 | 0 | |
| 2010s | 3,702 | 3,702 | 0 | |
| 2020s | 1,501 | 1,501 | 0 | |
Melvin by State
Birth registrations for Melvin span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, New York, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Alaska, Rhode Island, Nevada. On average, about 4,652 Melvins were registered per state.
Melvin + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Melvin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Melvin
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
Melvin: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Melvin?
We estimate approximately 116,958 people named Melvin are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,931 Americans share this first name.
Is Melvin a common name?
Melvin is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 246,815 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Melvin most popular?
Melvin reached peak popularity in 1928, when 4,311 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Melvin is approximately 61 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Melvin a male name?
Melvin is predominantly male. 99.1% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Melvin Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Melvin Smith, Melvin Johnson, Melvin Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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