Find out how popular the last name Marvin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Marvin.

Marvin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Marvin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Marvin in America

Marvin is the 3468th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Marvin surname appeared 10,310 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Marvin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Marvin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Marvin

The surname Marvin originated in England during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Mærwine," composed of the elements "mære" meaning "famous" and "wine" meaning "friend." This name was often bestowed upon individuals who were friendly or sociable.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Marvin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where it is spelled as "Merewine." This suggests that the name may have originated in or around the county of Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1244, where it was spelled "Merwin." The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also mention a John Merewyn from Oxfordshire.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the surname Marvin. However, it does include the name "Merewin," which may be a precursor to the modern spelling.

Notable individuals throughout history with the surname Marvin include:

1. Andrew Marvin (1786-1868), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York.
2. Charles Marvin (1858-1935), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
3. Dwight Marvin (1848-1940), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Marvin Manufacturing Company.
4. Frederic Rowland Marvin (1808-1890), an American educator and author, known for his work on popular education.
5. Walter Marvin (1912-1988), a British actor and playwright, best known for his roles in films like "Whisky Galore!" and "The Cruel Sea."

The surname Marvin is also associated with various place names, such as Marvin County in North Carolina, which was named after a local landowner, and the village of Mervyn in Hertfordshire, England, which may share a similar etymology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Marvin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Marvin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Marvin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Marvin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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