Marvin Boy

Popularity: #586 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MAR-vin //ˈmɑːrvɪn//

Origin: English; Welsh

Meaning: English: sea friend; Welsh: marf (sea) + gwin (friend)

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Marvin has its roots in the Welsh name Mervyn, which is derived from the Old Welsh elements "mer" meaning "sea" and "vin" meaning "friend" or "beloved." The name Mervyn was introduced into England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, evolving into Marvin over time as it was adapted into Middle English. The transition reflects the linguistic shifts that occurred as Norman French influenced the English language, particularly in the context of names and their spellings.

Historically, the name Marvin gained prominence through various notable figures, including Mervyn Tuchet, the 2nd Earl of Castlehaven, who lived in the 17th century. Additionally, the name has been associated with literary works, such as the character Marvin the Paranoid Android from Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series, which, while modern, illustrates the name's cultural resonance in literature.

The name also appears in various historical texts, contributing to its recognition. Culturally, Marvin has been associated with themes of friendship and loyalty, stemming from its etymological roots.

The name has been used in various artistic and musical contexts, further embedding it in cultural narratives. Diminutive forms such as Marv have emerged, reflecting a common practice in English of creating affectionate or informal versions of names.

Overall, Marvin's historical journey from Welsh origins to its presence in English-speaking cultures showcases its enduring appeal and significance.

Famous people named Marvin

In this section, you will find notable people named Marvin. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Marvin who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Marvin who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Marvin Gaye is a singer-songwriter best known for What's Going On, Sexual Healing, and Let's Get It On.

Marvin Hamlisch is a composer and conductor best known for A Chorus Line, The Way We Were, and The Sting.

Marvin Minsky is a cognitive scientist best known for co-founding the MIT Media Lab, work on artificial intelligence, and the book The Society of Mind.

Marvin Lewis is a former football coach best known for his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals and leading the team to multiple playoff appearances.

Marvin the Martian is a fictional character best known as a cartoon character in the Looney Tunes series.

Fictional characters named Marvin

The following list of fictional characters named Marvin is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Marvin the Paranoid Android is a fictional character from the science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He is a depressed robot with a brain the size of a planet, often providing comic relief with his pessimistic outlook on life.

Marvin is a fictional character from the animated television series Duck Dodgers. He is an alien invader who often battles the titular character in his quest to conquer Earth.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Marvin, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MartinMalcolmMasonMarcusMiloMaxwell

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Marvin. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MervinMarvMasonMartinMalcolmMiloMarcellusMarcellMarvinus

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Marvin was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Marvin has ranked as high as #106 nationally, which occurred in 1928, and has been most popular in Texas, New York, California, Illinois, and North Carolina.

In the past 5 years the name Marvin has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Marvin is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Marvin was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Marvin.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 385 385 0
2024 409 409 0
2023 433 433 0
2022 457 457 0
2021 450 450 0
2020 451 451 0
2019 482 477 5
2018 482 482 0
2017 487 487 0
2016 534 534 0
2015 522 522 0
2014 572 572 0
2013 550 550 0
2012 581 581 0
2011 578 578 0
2010 636 636 0
2009 711 711 0
2008 827 827 0
2007 887 887 0
2006 897 897 0
2005 810 810 0
2004 808 803 5
2003 870 870 0
2002 802 802 0
2001 809 809 0
2000 815 815 0
1999 765 765 0
1998 840 840 0
1997 858 858 0
1996 871 871 0
1995 843 843 0
1994 984 978 6
1993 1,090 1,081 9
1992 1,180 1,175 5
1991 1,198 1,193 5
1990 1,223 1,216 7
1989 1,197 1,192 5
1988 1,167 1,152 15
1987 1,096 1,078 18
1986 1,147 1,138 9
1985 1,157 1,142 15
1984 1,112 1,100 12
1983 1,183 1,172 11
1982 1,144 1,135 9
1981 1,189 1,173 16
1980 1,235 1,224 11
1979 1,259 1,245 14
1978 1,215 1,200 15
1977 1,191 1,172 19
1976 1,270 1,253 17
1975 1,324 1,309 15
1974 1,506 1,486 20
1973 1,526 1,506 20
1972 1,616 1,594 22
1971 1,958 1,931 27
1970 2,045 2,036 9
1969 2,214 2,197 17
1968 2,283 2,255 28
1967 2,451 2,426 25
1966 2,753 2,735 18
1965 2,990 2,969 21
1964 3,008 2,978 30
1963 2,999 2,974 25
1962 3,151 3,133 18
1961 3,206 3,185 21
1960 3,295 3,278 17
1959 3,177 3,167 10
1958 3,323 3,302 21
1957 3,423 3,408 15
1956 3,503 3,483 20
1955 3,675 3,659 16
1954 3,513 3,498 15
1953 3,587 3,564 23
1952 3,588 3,575 13
1951 3,572 3,557 15
1950 3,508 3,493 15
1949 3,744 3,725 19
1948 3,646 3,625 21
1947 3,792 3,773 19
1946 3,618 3,600 18
1945 3,311 3,294 17
1944 3,594 3,569 25
1943 3,960 3,939 21
1942 3,810 3,792 18
1941 3,645 3,626 19
1940 3,523 3,502 21
1939 3,779 3,758 21
1938 3,914 3,900 14
1937 3,929 3,913 16
1936 3,954 3,936 18
1935 4,301 4,278 23
1934 4,237 4,217 20
1933 4,161 4,132 29
1932 4,220 4,187 33
1931 4,390 4,360 30
1930 4,439 4,404 35
1929 4,433 4,389 44
1928 4,484 4,452 32
1927 4,434 4,397 37
1926 4,144 4,111 33
1925 4,118 4,092 26
1924 4,064 4,024 40
1923 3,836 3,810 26
1922 3,604 3,580 24
1921 3,513 3,490 23
1920 3,268 3,244 24
1919 3,011 2,997 14
1918 2,851 2,829 22
1917 2,533 2,517 16
1916 2,541 2,529 12
1915 2,242 2,227 15
1914 1,637 1,627 10
1913 1,246 1,236 10
1912 963 958 5
1911 496 488 8
1910 421 413 8
1909 361 354 7
1908 318 311 7
1907 304 304 0
1906 245 245 0
1905 220 215 5
1904 203 203 0
1903 185 185 0
1902 192 186 6
1901 145 145 0
1900 176 176 0
1899 138 138 0
1898 127 127 0
1897 134 134 0
1896 93 93 0
1895 107 107 0
1894 92 92 0
1893 102 102 0
1892 88 88 0
1891 93 93 0
1890 99 99 0
1889 77 77 0
1888 90 90 0
1887 70 70 0
1886 90 90 0
1885 65 65 0
1884 73 73 0
1883 71 71 0
1882 64 64 0
1881 57 57 0
1880 69 69 0

Top States for Marvin (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 49
14%
TX 44
12%
NY 23
6%
PA 18
5%
FL 18
5%
OH 17
5%
GA 17
5%
VA 16
4%
NC 15
4%
MD 14
4%
NJ 13
4%
MI 13
4%
IN 11
3%
IL 10
3%
MA 9
2%
TN 9
2%
MN 8
2%
KY 8
2%
CO 7
2%
AZ 7
2%
WI 7
2%
LA 6
2%
MO 6
2%
WA 6
2%
AL 5
1%
OR 5
1%