Melvin
Melvin is a masculine given name and surname, likely a variant of Melville and a descendant of the French surname de Maleuin and the later Melwin.[1] It may alternatively be spelled as Melvyn or, in Welsh, Melfyn and the name Melivinia or Melva may be used a feminine form. Of Norman French origin, originally Malleville, which translates to "bad town," it's likely it made its way into usage in Scotland as a result of the Norman conquest of England.[2][3] It came into use as a given name as early as the 19th century, in English-speaking populations.
As a name
Academics
- Melvin Calvin (1911–1997), American chemist who discovered the Calvin cycle
- Melvin Day (born 1923), New Zealand artist and art historian
- Melvin Hochster (born 1943), American mathematician
- Melvin Konner, Professor of Anthropology
- Melvin Schwartz (1932–2006), American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1988
- Melvin Alvah Traylor, Jr. (1915–2008), American ornithologist
Businessmen
- Melvin Alvah Traylor (born 1878), American banker
- Melvin T. Tukman, American asset manager, investor, philanthropist.
- Melvin Jones, businessman and founder of Lions club
Performers
- Melvin Edmonds, member of R&B group After 7
- Melvin Franklin (1942–1995), stage name of American bass singer David Melvin English
- Melvin Gibbs, American bass guitarist
- Melvin Odoom (born 1980), English comedian and presenter
- Melvin Kaminsky (born 1926), given name of actor Mel Brooks
- Melvin Parker (born 1944), American drummer who played in James Brown's band
- Melvin Van Peebles (born 1932), American actor and director
- Melvin Ragin (born 1951), American guitarist known as 'Wah-Wah Watson'
- Melvin Rhyne (born 1936), jazz organist
- Melvin Seals (born 1953), American musician
- Melvin Sia, Malaysian-Chinese actor, singer, model
- Melvin Sparks (born 1946), American jazz guitarist
Politicians
- Melvin Irvin (1942-2014), African-American politician
- Melvin R. Laird, Sr. (1877-1946), American politician
- Melvin R. Laird (1922-2016), American politician and writer
- Melvin Maas (1898–1964), U.S. Representative from Minnesota
- Melvin McQuaid (1911–2001), member of the Canadian House of Commons
- Melvin Steinberg (born 1933), Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1987 to 1995
Sportsmen
- Melvin Baker (born 1950), American football player
- Melvin Booker (born 1972), American basketball player
- Melvin Brown (footballer) (born 1979), Mexican football player
- Melvin Bullitt (born 1984), American football player
- Melvin Cunningham (born 1973), American football player
- Melvin Ely (born 1978), American basketball player
- Melvin Fowler (born 1979), American football center
- Melvin Guillard (born 1983), American mixed martial artist
- Melvin Gordon American football player
- Melvin Jones (American football) (born 1955), American football player
- Melvin Manhoef (born 1976), Dutch kickboxer
- Melvin Mora (born 1972), Major League baseball player
- Melvin Nieves (born 1971), baseball player
- Melvin Ott (1909–1958), Major League Baseball right fielder
- Melvin Platje (born 1988), Dutch football player
- Melvin Rosen (born 1928), American track coach
- Melvin Stewart (born 1968), American swimmer and Olympic medal winner
- Melvin Tarley (born 1982), Liberian footballer
- Melvin Turpin (1960–2010), American basketball player
- Melvin Valladares, Honduran football striker
- Melvin Watkins (born 1954), American basketball coach
Writers
- Melvin Burgess (born 1954), British author of children's fiction
- Melvin Frank (1913–1988), American screenwriter and film director
- Melvin B. Tolson (1898–1966), American modernist poet
Others
- Melvin Belli (1907–1996), American lawyer known as 'The King of Torts'
- Melvin Bernhardt (born 1941), American stage and television director
- Melvin Dummar (born 1944), American hoaxer and subject of film Melvin and Howard
- Melvin N. Johnson, American academic administrator
- Melvin Purvis (1903–1960), American FBI agent
- Melvin Williams (disambiguation), multiple people
- Melvin Zais (1916–1981), United States Army general
Fictional characters
- Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris, in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Melvin Frohike, in the television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen
- Melvin Palmer, on the television show Boston Legal
- Melvin the Superhero Guy, a puppet of ventriloquist Jeff Dunham
- Melvin Sneedly, a character from the Captain Underpants series
Surname
- Allan Melvin (1923–2008), American actor
- Bob Melvin (born 1961), American Major League Baseball player and manager
- Chasity Melvin (born 1976), American basketball player
- Doug Melvin (born 1952), Major League Baseball front office executive
- Doug Melvin (rower) (born 1928), British rower
- Eric Melvin, American guitarist in punk band NOFX
- Fordyce R. Melvin (1832-1915), American politician
- Jerry G. Melvin (1929-2020), American politician
- Joe Melvin (1853–1909), Australian journalist
- John Melvin (naval officer) (1887–1917), officer in the United States Navy
- Leland D. Melvin, an African American NASA astronaut and University of Richmond wide receiver
- Martin Melvin (1879–1952), British businessman and newspaper manager
- Mekenna Melvin (born 1985), American actress
- Murray Melvin (born 1932), English stage and film actor
- Norman C. Melvin III (born 1950), American botanist and plant ecologist
- Rachel Melvin (born 1985), American actress
- Thayer Melvin (1835–1906), American lawyer, politician, and judge
See also
- Melvyn, a list of people with the given name
- Justice Melvin (disambiguation)
References
- "Geoffrey de Maleuin, 1161-3, 1165-71" Percy Hide Reaney, Richard Middlewood Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames (1991).
- "David Melvin was a member of the Scots Charitable Society of Boston in 1692, and James Melvin settled in East New Jersey in 1685." David Dobson, The Scottish Surnames of Colonial America (2003), p. 105.
- Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the Name Melville". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
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