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Melville
How to Pronounce Melville
Pronounced MEL-vil /ˈmɛl.vɪl/High
Meaning: Melville is a Scottish surname taken from Norman French place names such as Malleville, 'the bad or poor settlement', brought to Scotland after the Conquest. As a first name it followed the old habit of turning distinguished surnames into given names.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Melville began as a Scottish surname drawn from Norman French place names like Malleville, literally 'the bad settlement'. Carried by noble Scottish families, it crossed into given-name use in the nineteenth century and was quietly popular for American boys around the turn of the last century, cresting near 1918.
It faded steadily after the nineteen-twenties and is now decidedly antique. A boy named Melville at the peak would be well over a hundred today, a great-grandfather-era name. It has not revived, though the tidy nickname Mel and the Herman Melville association give it a certain vintage charm.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Melville mean?
Melville is a Scottish surname from Norman French place names meaning roughly 'the poor settlement', used as a first name.
How do you pronounce Melville?
It's said MEL-vil /ˈmɛl.vɪl/ — two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Melville a boy or girl name?
Melville is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Melville?
Melville was an uncommon early-twentieth-century boys' name that crested in the nineteen-teens and has been rare for generations.