Marvin is a medieval English form of the Welsh Merfyn, usually explained as "sea friend" or "famous friend", and it was also used for the Germanic Marwin. Soul singer Marvin Gaye is its most famous American bearer, and the name was a top 100 choice in the United States from the 1920s to the 1950s. Marvin ranked number 336 in 2000, peaked at number 333 in 2003 and has drifted gently down to number 699 in 2025.