Melvin is a Scottish surname turned first name, probably from the Norman Malleville, "bad town", though it is also linked to the Old English Maelwine, "council friend". It was a mainstream American name in the first half of the 20th century, borne by the singer Melvin Franklin of the Temptations and the film director Melvin Van Peebles; today it holds on mostly in Hispanic and African American families. Melvin stood at number 455 in 2000, peaked at number 315 in 2002 and ranks number 959 in 2025.