boys' name ★ peaked 1928

Marvin

Meaning Mervyn Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #699 Trend ↓ Falling 10%

From Welsh Merfyn (“Mervyn”), probably from mêr (“marrow”) + myn (“eminent”).

Rank 2025
#699
among boys · ↓27 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
385
named Marvin · -6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 4,437
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1928
4,484 babies
All-time total
255,807
#149 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Marvin popularity over time

255,807 babies have been named Marvin since 1880, 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
1.252.53.75518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 726 726 73 – #155
1890s – 1,073 1,073 107 +48% #121
1900s 25 2,324 2,349 235 +119% #85
1910s 120 17,821 17,941 1,794 +664% #63
1920s 309 39,589 39,898 3,990 +122% #46
1930s 239 41,085 41,324 4,132 +4% #44
1940s 198 36,445 36,643 3,664 -11% #63
1950s 163 34,706 34,869 3,487 -5% #93
1960s 220 28,130 28,350 2,835 -19% #109
1970s 178 14,732 14,910 1,491 -47% #152
1980s 121 11,506 11,627 1,163 -22% #199
1990s 32 9,820 9,852 985 -15% #237
2000s 5 8,231 8,236 824 -16% #333
2010s 5 5,419 5,424 542 -34% #431
2020s (to 2025) – 2,585 2,585 431 -21% #607

Where Marvin 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 378 0.22 outside top 500
2027 372 0.22 outside top 500
2028 367 0.22 outside top 500
2029 363 0.21 outside top 500
2030 360 0.21 outside top 500

Where Marvin is most popular

Boys named Marvin per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.247 per 1,000. Strongest in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

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 Marvin 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
Maryland 72 0.604 +144%
Wisconsin 62 0.523 +112%
Pennsylvania 128 0.482 +95%
Indiana 64 0.399 +62%
Virginia 73 0.385 +56%
Minnesota 47 0.383 +55%
Ohio 96 0.362 +47%
Louisiana 32 0.313 +27%
Georgia 78 0.308 +25%
Florida 142 0.300 +21%
Nebraska 13 0.299 +21%
Massachusetts 41 0.298 +21%
New Jersey 60 0.298 +21%
Montana 5 0.284 +15%
Michigan 56 0.273 +11%
North Carolina 68 0.266 +8%
Tennessee 48 0.266 +8%
California 242 0.265 +7%
Washington 43 0.263 +6%
Missouri 35 0.253 ≈ national
New York 104 0.240 ≈ national
Kentucky 23 0.229 -7%
South Carolina 23 0.223 -10%
Texas 196 0.222 -10%
Illinois 53 0.207 -16%
Iowa 14 0.203 -18%
Arizona 31 0.189 -23%
Oklahoma 14 0.158 -36%
Alabama 17 0.156 -37%
Arkansas 7 0.111 -55%
Colorado 14 0.108 -56%
Nevada 6 0.105 -57%
Kansas 7 0.102 -59%
Mississippi 5 0.088 -64%
Oregon 5 0.066 -73%
Alaska – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Maine – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
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 Marvin

Marvin is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #699 in 2025 with 385 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 255,807 American babies have been named Marvin. Its peak came in 1928, when 4,484 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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 Marvin stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Marvin?

The median living Marvin is about 61 years old; half are between 41 and 73. An estimated 125 thousand people named Marvin are alive in the United States today.

median 61 020406080100

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

Marvin 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 – – 385 #699
2024 – – 409 #672
2023 – – 433 #637
2022 – – 457 #612
2021 – – 450 #619
2020 – – 451 #607
2019 5 #17,141 477 #584
2018 – – 482 #574
2017 – – 487 #560
2016 – – 534 #542
2015 – – 522 #548
2014 – – 572 #493
2013 – – 550 #498
2012 – – 581 #471
2011 – – 578 #465
2010 – – 636 #431
2009 – – 711 #415
2008 – – 827 #372
2007 – – 887 #356
2006 – – 897 #344
2005 – – 810 #365
2004 5 #17,848 803 #352
2003 – – 870 #333
2002 – – 802 #341
2001 – – 809 #341
2000 – – 815 #336
1995 – – 843 #314
1990 7 #10,941 1,216 #237
1985 15 #5,001 1,142 #212
1980 11 #6,169 1,224 #199
1975 15 #4,280 1,309 #177
1970 9 #5,662 2,036 #153
1965 21 #2,722 2,969 #109
1960 17 #3,064 3,278 #119
1955 16 #2,912 3,659 #94
1950 15 #2,739 3,493 #93
1945 17 #2,122 3,294 #80
1940 21 #1,775 3,502 #63
1935 23 #1,591 4,278 #45
1930 35 #1,283 4,404 #48
1925 26 #1,681 4,092 #51
1920 24 #1,734 3,244 #62
1915 15 #2,106 2,227 #72
1910 8 #1,880 413 #84
1905 5 #2,131 215 #100
1900 – – 176 #130
1895 – – 107 #144
1890 – – 99 #143
1885 – – 65 #197
1880 – – 69 #184

Famous people named Marvin

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

  1. 1 Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye American singer and songwriter (1939–1984) Contemporary
  2. 2 Marvin Heemeyer Marvin Heemeyer American known for bulldozer rampage (1951–2004) Contemporary
  3. 3 Marvin Minsky Marvin Minsky American cognitive scientist (1927–2016) Contemporary
  4. 4 Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Hamlisch American composer and conductor (1944–2012) Contemporary
  5. 5 Marvin Ducksch Marvin Ducksch German footballer (born 1994) Contemporary
  6. 6 Marvin Williams Marvin Williams American basketball player (born 1986) Contemporary
  7. 7 Marvin Sordell Marvin Sordell English footballer (born 1991) Contemporary
  8. 8 Marvin Andrews Marvin Andrews Trinidad and Tobago footballer b. 1975 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Marvin Harris Marvin Harris American anthropologist (1927–2001) Contemporary
  10. 10 Marvin Emnes Marvin Emnes Dutch professional footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
  11. 11 Marvin Hart Marvin Hart American boxer (1876–1931) 19th century
  12. 12 Marvin Martin Marvin Martin French footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
  13. 13 Marvin Compper Marvin Compper German footballer (born 1985) Contemporary
  14. 14 Marvin Zeegelaar Marvin Zeegelaar Dutch footballer (born 1990) Contemporary
  15. 15 Marvin Ogunjimi Marvin Ogunjimi Belgian footballer (born 1987) Contemporary
  16. 16 Marvin Chávez Marvin Chávez Honduran footballer (born 1983) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Marvin?

The median living Marvin is about 61 years old. Half of all living Marvins are between 41 and 73 years old.

How many people named Marvin are alive today?

An estimated 125 thousand people named Marvin are alive in the United States, based on 255,807 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Marvin mean?

From Welsh Merfyn (“Mervyn”), probably from mêr (“marrow”) + myn (“eminent”).

How popular is the name Marvin in 2025?

Marvin ranked #699 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 385 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Marvin?

255,807 babies have been named Marvin in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Marvin most popular?

Marvin peaked in 1928, when 4,484 newborns received the name.

Is Marvin a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Marvin rising or falling?

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

Will Marvin become more popular?

Marvin is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 360 boys named Marvin 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 Marvin?

Well-known people named Marvin include Marvin Gaye (singer), Marvin Heemeyer (businessperson), Marvin Minsky (computer scientist).

Names like Marvin

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

Compare Marvin with similar names → More names starting with M →