boys' name ★ peaked 1920

Mervin

Meaning A male given name from Welsh Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,377 Trend ↑ Rising 30%

A male given name from Welsh.

Rank 2025
#2,377
among boys · ↑35 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
58
named Mervin
How common
1 in 29,450
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1920
257 babies
All-time total
12,360
#1,070 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Mervin popularity over time

12,360 babies have been named Mervin 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
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 87 87 9 – #518
1890s – 94 94 9 +8% #571
1900s – 149 149 15 +59% #499
1910s 8 1,289 1,297 130 +770% #400
1920s 25 2,216 2,241 224 +73% #377
1930s 5 1,839 1,844 184 -18% #381
1940s – 1,461 1,461 146 -21% #449
1950s – 1,135 1,135 114 -22% #568
1960s – 920 920 92 -19% #728
1970s – 601 601 60 -35% #873
1980s – 552 552 55 -8% #1,092
1990s – 608 608 61 +10% #1,334
2000s – 553 553 55 -9% #1,858
2010s – 494 494 49 -11% #2,164
2020s (to 2025) – 324 324 54 +9% #2,308

Where Mervin 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 61 0.04 outside top 500
2027 63 0.04 outside top 500
2028 66 0.04 outside top 500
2029 67 0.04 outside top 500
2030 69 0.04 outside top 500

Where Mervin is most popular

Boys named Mervin per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.031 per 1,000. Strongest in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

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 Mervin 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
Pennsylvania 101 0.380 +1135%
Ohio 37 0.140 +353%
Wisconsin 15 0.127 +311%
Indiana 14 0.087 +183%
Michigan 6 0.029 -5%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
California – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Florida – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
New York – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Texas – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
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 Mervin

Mervin is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,377 in 2025 with 58 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 12,360 American babies have been named Mervin. Its peak came in 1920, when 257 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 Mervin stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Mervin?

The median living Mervin is about 53 years old; half are between 27 and 71. An estimated 5,700 people named Mervin are alive in the United States today.

median 53 020406080100

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

Mervin 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 – – 58 #2,377
2024 – – 58 #2,412
2023 – – 61 #2,308
2022 – – 43 #2,942
2021 – – 46 #2,763
2020 – – 58 #2,341
2019 – – 40 #3,034
2018 – – 43 #2,828
2017 – – 51 #2,520
2016 – – 54 #2,402
2015 – – 50 #2,512
2014 – – 48 #2,565
2013 – – 44 #2,696
2012 – – 57 #2,285
2011 – – 45 #2,690
2010 – – 62 #2,164
2009 – – 62 #2,177
2008 – – 58 #2,283
2007 – – 53 #2,428
2006 – – 65 #2,052
2005 – – 52 #2,287
2004 – – 51 #2,272
2003 – – 56 #2,048
2002 – – 46 #2,282
2001 – – 60 #1,858
2000 – – 50 #2,038
1995 – – 48 #1,825
1990 – – 66 #1,377
1985 – – 46 #1,467
1980 – – 47 #1,387
1975 – – 61 #1,076
1970 – – 86 #873
1965 – – 90 #783
1960 – – 108 #744
1955 – – 108 #707
1950 – – 143 #568
1945 – – 105 #596
1940 – – 150 #471
1935 5 #4,686 203 #381
1930 – – 196 #422
1925 – – 199 #425
1920 8 #3,845 249 #377
1915 – – 163 #422
1910 – – 24 #593
1905 – – 14 #656
1900 – – 19 #572
1895 – – 14 #571
1890 – – 10 #653
1885 – – 12 #568
1880 – – 6 #877

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Mervin?

The median living Mervin is about 53 years old. Half of all living Mervins are between 27 and 71 years old.

How many people named Mervin are alive today?

An estimated 5,700 people named Mervin are alive in the United States, based on 12,360 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Mervin mean?

A male given name from Welsh.

How popular is the name Mervin in 2025?

Mervin ranked #2,377 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 58 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Mervin?

12,360 babies have been named Mervin in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Mervin most popular?

Mervin peaked in 1920, when 257 newborns received the name.

Is Mervin a boy or girl name?

Mervin is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Mervin rising or falling?

Mervin is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Mervin become more popular?

Mervin is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 69 boys named Mervin in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Mervin

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

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