Meaning and origin
The last name Melvin is of English and Scottish origin. It is derived from the ancient Breton origin personal name "Melho-vein," meaning "chief" or "lord." Over time, this name evolved into various forms, including Melvin, Melvinson, Melville, and Milburn. The name found its way to England through the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066 and eventually spread to Scotland through migrations and border movements.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#1,795
Melvin was the 1,795th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 20,008 people, about 6.5 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Melvin
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Melvin is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.