Given name & surname
Mervyn
“a friend of the sea”
In English use, Mervyn has a related form in Mervin. In Welsh use, Mervin carries the interpretation “a friend of the sea.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Mervyn has a related form in Mervin. In Welsh use, Mervin carries the interpretation “a friend of the sea.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Welsh.
How it developed
Mervyn is used as a form of Welsh.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1905. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mervyn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,586
- 1,581 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1937
- 55 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 2016. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 55 in 1937. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,376 as a first name in 2020; 202 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.
Mervyn’s family of names
In English usage, Mervyn has a short form in Merv. Mervyn has a related form in Marvin. Mervyn has a related form in Mervin.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
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.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Mervyn
- Mervyn LeRoyAmerican film director and producer (1900–1987)
- Mervyn PeakeEnglish author and illustrator (1911–1968)
- Mervyn RoseAustralian tennis player (1930–2017)
- Merv GriffinAmerican talk show host, singer, and game show producer (1925–2007)
- Mervyn WoodAustralian rower (1917-2006)
- Mervyn King, Baron King of LothburyBritish economist (born 1948)
- Mervyn Crossmanfield hockey player1935–2017
- Mervyn FinlayAustralian judge and rower (1925-2014)
- Mervyn JohnsWelsh actor (1899–1992)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Mervyn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Avon
“of the river”
>99% boys
Romney
“of the winding river” · “from the winding river”
85% boys · 15% girls
Murvin
“a friend of the sea”
>99% boys
Merel
“of the shining sea”
85% boys · 15% girls
Meril
“of the shining sea”
87% boys · 13% girls
Glain
“as precious as jewel”
75% boys · 25% girls
Murrel
“of the shining sea”
80% boys · 20% girls
Morley
“woman from the moor” · “from the meadow on the moor”
92% boys · 8% girls