Melvin is a masculine given name and surname, likely a variant of Melville and a descendant of the French surname de Maleuin and the later Melwin.[1] It may alternatively be spelled as Melvyn or, in Welsh, Melfyn and the name Melivinia or Melva may be used a feminine form. Of Norman French origin, originally Malleville, which translates to "bad town," it likely made its way into usage in Scotland as a result of the Norman conquest of England.[2][3] It came into use as a given name as early as the 19th century, in English-speaking populations.

As a name

Given name

Academics

Businessmen

Performers

Politicians

  • Melvin Irvin (1942-2014), African-American politician
  • Melvin R. Laird, Sr. (1877-1946), American politician
  • Melvin R. Laird (1922-2016), American politician and writer
  • Melvin Maas (1898–1964), U.S. Representative from Minnesota
  • Melvin J. Miller (1919-1974), American farmer and politician
  • Melvin McQuaid (1911–2001), member of the Canadian House of Commons
  • Melvin Steinberg (born 1933), American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1987 to 1995

Sportsmen

Writers

Others

Fictional characters

Surname

See also

References

  1. "Geoffrey de Maleuin, 1161-3, 1165-71" Percy Hide Reaney, Richard Middlewood Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames (1991).
  2. "David Melvin was a member of the Scots Charitable Society of Boston in 1692, and James Melvin settled in East New Jersey in 1685." David Dobson, The Scottish Surnames of Colonial America (2003), p. 105.
  3. Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the Name Melville". Behind the Name. Archived from the original on 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
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