Kelvin: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “narrow water”
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic
- Say it
- KEL-vin · 2 syllables
- Used for
- Boys
From the Scottish river name Kelvin, probably from a Brittonic or Gaelic source. It is also familiar from the physicist Lord Kelvin, whose title came from the river.
How popular is Kelvin?
Babies named Kelvin in 2024201
2024 rank#1,080 boys
Peak year1963
Total US babies since 188051,638
Kelvin is fading: recent use is about 59% of its level ten years before.
Names like Kelvin
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Kelvin questions
What does the name Kelvin mean?
Kelvin means "narrow water". It comes from Scottish Gaelic. From the Scottish river name Kelvin, probably from a Brittonic or Gaelic source. It is also familiar from the physicist Lord Kelvin, whose title came from the river.
Is Kelvin a boy or girl name?
Kelvin is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Kelvin?
201 US babies were named Kelvin in 2024. Its peak year was 1963.
How do you pronounce Kelvin?
Kelvin is usually pronounced KEL-vin.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.