At a Glance
- Meaning
- Gentle chief (via Irish Gaelic); also a variant of the surname Melville
- Origin
- Scottish/Irish (surname, Anglicized Gaelic name)
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- MEL-vin
Melvin is a Scottish/Irish (surname, Anglicized Gaelic name) boy's name meaning “gentle chief (via Irish Gaelic); also a variant of the surname Melville”. It appears in our list of 100+ *Best* Boy Names That Start With M.
Meaning & Origin of Melvin
Meaning: Gentle chief (via Irish Gaelic); also a variant of the surname Melville.
Origin: Scottish/Irish (surname, Anglicized Gaelic name).
A common claim: Melvin means 'gentle chief' Actually: Melvin is often said to simply mean 'gentle chief,' but that's only one of several converging origins -- the name is primarily a variant of the Scottish surname Melville, which traces to a Norman French place name meaning 'bad settlement.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Melvin
MEL-vinIPA /ˈmɛlvɪn/
Popularity of Melvin
Lists That Include Melvin
Similar Names
Marcellus · Merrick · Malik · Mitchell · Mustafa · Mauricio
