Given name & surname
Melville
“from the mill town”
Melville is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the mill town.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the mill town.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Melville through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,283
- 2,269 boys · 14 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 77 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1981. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 77 in 1918. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 730 as a first name in 2020; 4,175 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Melville’s family of names
In English usage, Melville has a diminutive in Mel. In English usage, Melville has a related form in Melvin. Melville has a short form in Mel.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Melvinvariant · English
- Meldiminutive · English
- Melvylevariant
- Melvylvariant
- Melvyllvariant
- Melvyllevariant
- Melvilevariant
- Melvilvariant
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People named Melville
- Melvil DeweyAmerican librarian (1851–1931)
- Melville Fullerchief justice of the United States from 1888 to 19101833–1910
- Melville ShavelsonAmerican film director, producer, screenwriter, and author (1917–2007)
- Melville J. HerskovitsAmerican anthropologist (1895–1963)
- Melville CooperBritish actor (1896–1973)
- Melville Rogersfigure skater (1899–1973)
- Mel SpenceJamaican sprinter and middle-distance runner1936–2012
- Melville BakerAmerican screenwriter (1901-1958)
- Melville Davisson PostAmerican author (1869–1930)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Melville, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Melton
“from the mill town”
>99% boys
Merton
“from the village near the pond” · “from the town near the lake”
>99% boys
Elmore
“from the moor of the elm trees”
>99% boys
Malvin
“a leader” · “a friend who offers counsel”
>99% boys
Milford
“from the mill's ford”
>99% boys
Carlyle
“from the fort at Luguvalium”
82% boys · 18% girls
Ellsworth
“from the nobleman's estate”
>99% boys
Elmo
“a protector” · “an amiable man”
98% boys · 2% girls