At a Glance: Name: Melvin – 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
Phonetic: MEL-vin IPA: /ˈmɛlvɪn/
Popularity of Melvin
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Lists That Include Melvin
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Marcellus · Merrick · Malik · Mitchell · Mustafa · Mauricio
