Where does the name Marvin come from?

Marvin is a boy name of Welsh origin.

Is Marvin a boy or a girl name?

Marvin is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Marvin are girls and 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Marvin in 2023?

Marvin ranks #637 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1928 with 4,484 babies.

How do you pronounce Marvin?

Marvin is pronounced MAR-vin (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Marvin?

Marvin is also written as Mervin, Mervyn, Marvyn.

A name from Welsh · Boy

Marvin

From the Old Welsh name Merfyn — possibly mer ('marrow' or 'eminence') + myn ('hill') or ('great'). Anglicized as Marvin by the Tudor era and absorbed fully into English-language usage.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

253,398 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

433 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

MFrom the Old Welsh name Merfyn — possibly mer ('marrow' or 'eminence') + myn ('hill') or ('great'). Anglicized as Marvin by the Tudor era and absorbed fully into English-language usage.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Marvin".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Mervin Most common Mervyn Marvyn

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Marvin.

M
Marvin Gaye (soul singer)
M
Marvin Hagler (middleweight champion)
M
Marvin the Martian (cartoon character)

Quick answers

People often ask about Marvin.

What does the name Marvin mean?: Marvin means from the Old Welsh name Merfyn — possibly mer ('marrow' or 'eminence') + myn ('hill') or ('great'). Anglicized as Marvin by the Tudor era and absorbed fully into English-language usage.
Where does the name Marvin come from?: Marvin is a boy name of Welsh origin.
Is Marvin a boy or a girl name?: Marvin is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Marvin are girls and 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Marvin in 2023?: Marvin ranks #637 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1928 with 4,484 babies.
How do you pronounce Marvin?: Marvin is pronounced MAR-vin (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Marvin?: Marvin is also written as Mervin, Mervyn, Marvyn.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.