Find out how popular the first name Kelvin has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Kelvin by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Kelvin is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Kelvin being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 231 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Kelvin.

The history of the first name Kelvin

The name Kelvin is derived from the Celtic word "cuilen" which means "bright-headed" or "fair-haired". This name originated in Scotland and is believed to have first been used in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Kelvin is thought to have been inspired by the River Kelvin, a tributary of the River Clyde that flows through the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The river was likely named after a Gaelic word meaning "peaceful" or "calm".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kelvin was in the 14th century, when a Scottish nobleman named Kelvin of Ardrossan was mentioned in historical records. Kelvin of Ardrossan was a prominent figure in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

In the 16th century, there was a Scottish philosopher and mathematician named William Kelvin who lived from 1824 to 1907. He made significant contributions to the field of thermodynamics and was the first to propose the idea of absolute zero temperature. The unit of temperature "Kelvin" was named after him.

Another notable figure with the name Kelvin was Kelvin Sampson, an American basketball coach who was born in 1955. He coached several college teams, including the University of Oklahoma and Indiana University.

In literature, Kelvin Thrush was a character in the novel "The Pale King" by David Foster Wallace, published in 2011. The character was a tax auditor working for the Internal Revenue Service.

Kelvin Doran was an Australian rules football player who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in 1945 and played a total of 151 games for Hawthorn.

Overall, while the name Kelvin has its roots in Scottish and Celtic culture, it has been used throughout the English-speaking world and has been borne by individuals from various backgrounds and professions.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Kelvin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kelvin, please contact us.

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