boys' name ★ peaked 1961

Kelvin

Meaning narrow Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,036 Trend ↓ Falling 20%

Of Celtic/Scottish Gaelic origin, possibly from caol (“narrow”) or coille (“wooded”) + abhainn (“river”).

Rank 2025
#1,036
among boys · ↑47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
214
named Kelvin · +6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 7,982
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1961
1,380 babies
All-time total
51,855
#504 all-time among boys
First recorded
1912
in Social Security records

Kelvin popularity over time

51,855 babies have been named Kelvin since 1912, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 11 11 1 – #2,425
1920s – 61 61 6 +455% #2,461
1930s – 182 182 18 +198% #1,060
1940s – 228 228 23 +25% #1,088
1950s 21 5,182 5,203 520 +2182% #250
1960s 92 11,860 11,952 1,195 +130% #207
1970s 77 7,931 8,008 801 -33% #242
1980s 74 7,167 7,241 724 -10% #279
1990s 35 7,398 7,433 743 +3% #288
2000s 5 6,259 6,264 626 -16% #389
2010s – 3,875 3,875 388 -38% #520
2020s (to 2025) – 1,397 1,397 233 -40% #905

Where Kelvin is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 206 0.12 outside top 500
2027 200 0.12 outside top 500
2028 195 0.11 outside top 500
2029 190 0.11 outside top 500
2030 187 0.11 outside top 500

Where Kelvin is most popular

Boys named Kelvin per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.134 per 1,000. Strongest in Alabama, Maryland, and Louisiana.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Kelvin born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Alabama 41 0.375 +180%
Maryland 41 0.344 +157%
Louisiana 30 0.293 +119%
Mississippi 15 0.264 +97%
Massachusetts 35 0.255 +90%
Tennessee 41 0.227 +70%
Georgia 51 0.201 +51%
Virginia 37 0.195 +46%
New York 83 0.192 +43%
New Jersey 37 0.184 +37%
Florida 87 0.184 +37%
Texas 129 0.146 +9%
Pennsylvania 35 0.132 ≈ national
South Carolina 13 0.126 -6%
California 110 0.120 -10%
North Carolina 29 0.114 -15%
Indiana 17 0.106 -21%
Wisconsin 12 0.101 -24%
Illinois 25 0.098 -27%
Arizona 16 0.098 -27%
Michigan 19 0.093 -31%
Ohio 24 0.091 -32%
Washington 14 0.086 -36%
Minnesota 5 0.041 -70%
Missouri 5 0.036 -73%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Kelvin

Kelvin is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,036 in 2025 with 214 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1912, 51,855 American babies have been named Kelvin. Its peak came in 1961, when 1,380 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kelvin stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kelvin?

The median living Kelvin is about 42 years old; half are between 26 and 58. An estimated 47 thousand people named Kelvin are alive in the United States today.

median 42 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kelvin year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 214 #1,036
2024 – – 201 #1,083
2023 – – 232 #967
2022 – – 254 #911
2021 – – 254 #905
2020 – – 242 #922
2019 – – 317 #754
2018 – – 281 #807
2017 – – 328 #729
2016 – – 336 #729
2015 – – 399 #652
2014 – – 366 #688
2013 – – 412 #611
2012 – – 474 #550
2011 – – 465 #547
2010 – – 497 #520
2009 – – 572 #479
2008 – – 606 #460
2007 – – 623 #448
2006 – – 632 #434
2005 – – 617 #433
2004 5 #17,462 631 #412
2003 – – 644 #403
2002 – – 659 #396
2001 – – 618 #404
2000 – – 657 #389
1995 7 #11,114 713 #345
1990 5 #14,060 870 #288
1985 9 #7,242 741 #279
1980 5 #11,165 613 #313
1975 11 #5,308 727 #266
1970 11 #4,899 912 #254
1965 11 #4,068 1,197 #207
1960 11 #4,038 1,299 #217
1955 – – 530 #321
1950 – – 139 #576
1945 – – 20 #1,514
1940 – – 21 #1,502
1935 – – 34 #1,134
1930 – – 9 #2,893
1925 – – 10 #2,850
1920 – – – –
1915 – – 5 #4,115
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kelvin

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kelvin Davis English footballer (born 1976) Contemporary
  2. 2 Kelvin Etuhu Kelvin Etuhu Nigerian footballer b. 1988 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Kelvin Amian Kelvin Amian French footballer (born 1998) Contemporary
  4. 4 Kelvin Leerdam Kelvin Leerdam Surinamese footballer (born 1990) Contemporary
  5. 5 Kelvin Felix Kelvin Felix Catholic cardinal (1933–2024) Contemporary
  6. 6 Kelvin Mateus de Oliveira Kelvin Mateus de Oliveira Brazilian footballer b. 1993 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kelvin, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kelvin?

The median living Kelvin is about 42 years old. Half of all living Kelvins are between 26 and 58 years old.

How many people named Kelvin are alive today?

An estimated 47 thousand people named Kelvin are alive in the United States, based on 51,855 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kelvin mean?

Of Celtic/Scottish Gaelic origin, possibly from caol (“narrow”) or coille (“wooded”) + abhainn (“river”).

How popular is the name Kelvin in 2025?

Kelvin ranked #1,036 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 214 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kelvin?

51,855 babies have been named Kelvin in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kelvin most popular?

Kelvin peaked in 1961, when 1,380 newborns received the name.

Is Kelvin a boy or girl name?

Kelvin is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Kelvin rising or falling?

Kelvin is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kelvin become more popular?

Kelvin is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 187 boys named Kelvin in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kelvin?

Well-known people named Kelvin include Kelvin Davis (soccer player), Kelvin Etuhu (soccer player), Kelvin Amian (soccer player).

Names like Kelvin

Names that sound and feel close to Kelvin: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kelvin with similar names → More names starting with K →