Kelvin
A boys’ name of Scottish Gaelic origin, meaning narrow water; from River Kelvin in Scotland.
How Kelvin has moved
View as table
| Year | US rank |
|---|---|
| 2015 | #651 |
| 2016 | #728 |
| 2017 | #728 |
| 2018 | #806 |
| 2019 | #756 |
| 2020 | #924 |
| 2021 | #910 |
| 2022 | #910 |
| 2023 | #964 |
Kelvin by the numbers
In 2025, 17 babies in England and Wales were named Kelvin. In the US, 325 were, though that figure is from 2017, the most recent full year we hold.
For the size of the two countries, it is given several times more often in the US than in England and Wales.
Its American peak was 1,365 babies in 1961, so it is a 1960s name that has since fallen a long way.
Spelled almost the same
Other names in the records within a letter or two of Kelvin. Close spellings are not always related names, but they are usually worth seeing together.
Other names that mean a river
Like Kelvin, each of these has a river in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.
- Kendallvalley of the river Kent1,634 in the US (2017)
- Wadeto go or ford across water899 in the US (2017)
- Trentonsettlement of the trent river673 in the US (2017)
- Monroemouth of the Roe river; a surname as given name559 in the US (2017)
- Zairethe river; from Congo River name349 in the US (2017)
- Clydefrom the river Clyde344 in the US (2017)
Other names that mean water
Like Kelvin, each of these has water in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.
- Maxwellgreat spring; place name3,118 in the US (2017)
- Riverflowing water; nature name3,114 in the US (2017)
- Brooksof the small stream1,938 in the US (2017)
- Beckettbee keeper or stream; a surname used as a given name1,763 in the US (2017)
- Beckhamhomestead with a stream1,280 in the US (2017)
- Wadeto go or ford across water899 in the US (2017)
Names about as common as Kelvin
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