Melvin Explained

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

Melvin Calvin (1911–1997), American chemist who discovered the Calvin cycle
Melvin Day (1923–2016), New Zealand artist and art historian
Melvin Hochster (born 1943), American mathematician
Melvin Konner (born 1946), Professor of Anthropology
Melvin Schwartz (1932–2006), American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1988
Melvin Alvah Traylor, Jr. (1915–2008), American ornithologist

Businessmen

Melvin Jones (1879-1961), businessman and founder of Lions Club
Melvin Alvah Traylor (1878–1934), American banker
Melvin T. Tukman, American asset manager, investor, philanthropist.

Performers

Melvin Edmonds, member of R&B group After 7
Melvin Franklin (1942–1995), stage name of American bass singer David Melvin English
Melvin Gibbs, American bass guitarist
Melvin Odoom (born 1980), English comedian and presenter
Melvin Kaminsky (born 1926), given name of actor Mel Brooks
Melvin Parker (1944–2021), American drummer who played in James Brown's band
Melvin Van Peebles (1932–2021), American actor and director
Melvin Ragin (1951–2018), American guitarist known as 'Wah-Wah Watson'
Melvin Rhyne (1936–2013), jazz organist
Melvin Seals (born 1953), American musician
Melvin Sia (born 1979), Malaysian-Chinese actor, singer, model
Melvin Sparks (1946–2011), American jazz guitarist

Politicians

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
Melvin ZumBrunnen (born 1941), American politician

Sportsmen

Melvin Upton Jr. (born 1984), American baseball player
Melvin Baker (born 1950), American football player
Melvin Booker (born 1972), American basketball player
Melvin Brown (footballer) (born 1979), Mexican football player
Melvin Bullitt (born 1984), American football player
Melvin Cunningham (born 1973), American football player
Melvin Ely (born 1978), American basketball player
Melvin Fowler (born 1979), American football center
Melvin Guillard (born 1983), American mixed martial artist
Melvin Gordon American football player
Melvin Jones (American football) (born 1955), American football player
Melvin Manhoef (born 1976), Dutch kickboxer
Melvin Mitchell (born 1953), American football player
Melvin Mora (born 1972), Major League baseball player
Melvin Nieves (born 1971), baseball player
Melvin Ott (1909–1958), Major League Baseball right fielder
Melvin Platje (born 1988), Dutch football player
Melvin Rosen (1928–2018), American track coach
Melvin Stewart (born 1968), American swimmer and Olympic medal winner
Melvin Tarley (born 1982), Liberian footballer
Melvin Tong (born 1975), Hong Kong former professional tennis player
Melvin Turpin (1960–2010), American basketball player
Melvin Valladares (born 1984), Honduran football striker
Melvin Watkins (born 1954), American basketball coach

Writers

Melvin Burgess (born 1954), British author of children's fiction
Melvin Frank (1913–1988), American screenwriter and film director
Melvin B. Tolson (1898–1966), American modernist poet

Others

Melvin Belli (1907–1996), American lawyer known as 'The King of Torts'
Melvin Bernhardt (1931-2015), American stage and television director
Melvin Dummar (1944–2018), American hoaxer and subject of film Melvin and Howard
Melvin N. Johnson, American academic administrator
Melvin Purvis (1903–1960), American FBI agent
Melvin Storer (1921–2003), United States Navy shipfitter
Melvin Williams (disambiguation), multiple people
Melvin Zais (1916–1981), United States Army general

Fictional characters

Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris, in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Melvin Frohike, in the television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen
Melvin Palmer, on the television show Boston Legal
Melvin the Superhero Guy, a puppet of ventriloquist Jeff Dunham
Melvin Sneedly, a character from the Captain Underpants series
Melvin Potter, also known as Gladiator, a Daredevil comics character

Surname

Allan Melvin (1923–2008), American actor
Billy Melvin (born 1977), Scottish footballer
Bob Melvin (born 1961), American baseball player and manager
Charles Melvin (1885–1941) British soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
Chasity Melvin (born 1976), American basketball player
Craig Melvin (born 1979), American journalist
Daniel Wilkie Melvin (1838–1916), auctioneer in South Australia
Doug Melvin (born 1952), Canadian baseball executive
Doug Melvin (rower) (1928–2021), British rower
Ed Melvin (1916–2004), American basketball player
Eileen Melvin, American businessperson
Eric Melvin (born 1966), American musician
Fordyce R. Melvin (1832–1915), American politician
G. S. Melvin (1886–1946), British pantomime dame and comedian
Henry A. Melvin (1865–1920), American judge
Isaac Melvin (1811–1853), American architect
Jemma Melvin, British pudding creator
Jerry G. Melvin (1929–2020), American politician
Joan Orie Melvin, American judge
Joe Melvin (1853–1909), Australian journalist
John Melvin, multiple people
Kenneth R. Melvin (born 1952), American politician and lawyer
Leland D. Melvin (born 1964), American astronaut
Martin Melvin (1879–1952), British businessman and newspaper manager
Mekenna Melvin (born 1985), American actress
Mungo Melvin (born 1955), British soldier and historian
Murray Melvin (1932–2023), English stage and film actor
Norman C. Melvin III (born 1950), American botanist and plant ecologist
Peter Melvin (1933–2009), British architect
Rachel Melvin (born 1985), American actress
Rashaan Melvin (born 1989), American football player
Randy Melvin (born 1959), American football coach
Reine Arcache Melvin (born 1959), Filipina author
Sean Melvin (born 1994), Canadian soccer player
Thayer Melvin (1835–1906), American lawyer, politician, and judge
Theodore N. Melvin (1846–1897), American lawyer and politician
Tom Melvin (born 1961), American football coach
William L. Melvin, American engineer

Notes and References

"Geoffrey de Maleuin, 1161-3, 1165-71"Percy Hide Reaney, Richard Middlewood Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames (1991).
"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.
Web site: Meaning, origin and history of the Name Melville. Campbell. Mike. Behind the Name. 2018-10-31. 2018-11-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20181101015537/https://www.behindthename.com/name/melville. live.