Given name & surname
Mervin
“a friend of the sea”
Mervin is a form of Marvin. One Welsh interpretation is “a friend of the sea.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Welsh use, Mervin carries the interpretation “a friend of the sea.” Mervin is a form of Marvin. One Welsh interpretation is “a friend of the sea.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Welsh.
How it developed
Mervin is used as a form of Marvin.
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
Mervin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 12,360
- 12,322 boys · 38 girls
- Most popular year
- 1920
- 257 babies
- 2025
- 58
- #2,377 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +8%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 58 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,377 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 8.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 249 in 1920. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (16). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,257 as a first name in 2020; 550 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.
Mervin’s family of names
Mervin is a form of Marvin. Mervin has a related form in Mervyn. Mervin has a related form in Mervyn.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 20
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mervin
- Mervin TranCanadian pair skaterborn 1990
- Mervin KellyAmerican physicist (1894–1971)
- Mervin JacksonAmerican basketball player (1946-2012)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mervin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Irving
“a triend of the sea”
>99% boys
Clarence
“from the Clare river”
>99% boys
Hurley
“a healthy woman” · “of the sea tide”
96% boys · 4% girls
Ervin
“friend of the sea”
>99% boys
Irvin
“a triend of the sea”
>99% boys
Orrin
“from the river”
>99% boys
Orin
“a dark-haired beauty”
99% boys · 1% girls
Murray
“the lord of the sea”
86% boys · 14% girls