Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Kelvin as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kelvin

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Kelvin is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɛlvɪn/ (KEL-vin).

Kelvin is Scottish in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Scottish
Pronunciation: /ˈkɛlvɪn/ (KEL-vin)

What is the meaning of the name Kelvin ?

The baby name Kelvin is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɛlvɪn/ (KEL-vin).

Kelvin is Scottish in Origin.

Kelvin is a Scottish place-derived given name taken from the River Kelvin that flows through Glasgow. The hydronym’s etymology is uncertain; scholars propose a Gaelic compound caol + abhainn (“narrow river”) or an older Brittonic root denoting “swift water.” Accordingly, the name is often glossed as “from the River Kelvin” or “narrow/winding river.”

The title Baron Kelvin, assumed by the physicist William Thomson in 1892, propelled the name into public consciousness and lent it scientific cachet through the Kelvin temperature scale. Use as a given name grew in English-speaking countries during the mid-20th century, peaking in the United States around the 1960s–70s and remaining familiar worldwide. Common short forms include Kel and Vin; variant spellings include Kelvyn, Kelven, Kelwin, and the rare feminine Kelvina. Though sometimes confused with Calvin, the two are etymologically unrelated.

Kelvin has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Kelvin

Kelvin Harrison Jr. Actor|musician · Born 1994 · United States Kelvin Harrison Jr. is an American actor best known for films like Waves, Luce, and Elvis. He was born on July 23, 1994.

Kelvin – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2022 #1 — 794
KH Boys 0 #9 1 270
SG Boys 0 #15 4,036 17,960
SG 0 #15 461 11,010
FJ Boys 0 #16 2 603
HK Boys 0 #19 4,825 12,905
MO 0 #19 34 2,706
MO Boys 0 #19 438 5,842
HN 0 #20 3 704
SV Boys 0 #23 6 352
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
MY 0 #34 493 12,352
HK 0 #35 605 8,483
ID 0 #37 3 2,238
HN Boys 0 #38 15 749
MY Boys 0 #39 7,112 25,439
PR 0 #53 3 1,497
CN 0 #54 32 3,857
CM 0 #55 2 2,592
IN 0 #69 3 2,963
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
AO 0 #76 2 2,729
PR Boys 0 #78 128 2,508
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
GH Boys 0 #82 777 8,138
NG Boys 0 #82 6,718 16,906
BN Boys 0 #83 51 6,332
TW 0 #87 14 4,523
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
BW Boys 0 #96 54 4,685
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
QA 0 #103 4 7,011
NG 0 #104 176 5,926
OM 0 #104 13 6,215
PH 0 #104 7 5,607
ID Boys 0 #108 24 4,130
CN Boys 0 #115 286 9,639
EC 0 #115 7 2,502
PA 0 #119 12 3,797
GH 0 #120 144 5,396
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
CY Boys 0 #127 5 3,473
TW Boys 0 #130 129 7,111
MU 0 #136 2 3,613
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
LT Boys 0 #150 2 2,166
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
PA Boys 0 #151 614 9,305
EC Boys 0 #156 96 3,322
CR 0 #160 6 5,526
MT Boys 0 #165 12 4,064
PR Girls 0 #165 3 3,171
HU Boys 0 #169 6 3,954
Sweden Boys 2022 #174 9 1,509
AE 0 #182 6 10,220
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
NA Boys 0 #191 45 6,830
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
SI Boys 0 #210 2 3,402
JM Boys 0 #212 61 6,876
LU Boys 0 #214 7 4,970
AO Boys 0 #215 28 5,568
BG Boys 0 #217 4 3,850
AL Girls 0 #225 3 4,141
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
BR Boys 0 #227 1,424 12,213
IR 0 #229 3 4,221
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
PH Boys 0 #248 139 11,440
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
GT Boys 0 #257 282 7,625
JP Boys 0 #257 41 7,909
MO Girls 0 #258 6 7,056
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
AL Boys 0 #265 34 5,122
GR Boys 0 #266 8 6,912
AF Boys 0 #274 1 3,535
GT 0 #274 41 5,948
MU Boys 0 #285 73 8,477
PE 0 #285 26 6,350
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
ZA Boys 0 #289 2,149 25,619
Canada Boys 2024 #294 13 2,588
BR 0 #299 47 5,969
CZ Boys 0 #302 4 6,530
SA 0 #307 6 10,560
GH Girls 0 #310 15 6,973
DK Boys 0 #315 11 7,401
PT Boys 0 #325 43 7,951
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
QA Girls 0 #340 4 15,378
PE Boys 0 #343 1,126 14,506
ZA 0 #347 101 14,421
NL 0 #348 44 2,481
CM Boys 0 #355 217 12,054
CR Boys 0 #355 137 10,188
France Boys 2021 #356 32 2,865
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
MU Girls 0 #360 3 8,539
UY Boys 0 #360 40 5,922
BO 0 #370 12 6,868
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
YE 0 #397 2 8,639
NL Boys 0 #399 819 5,873
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
Finland Boys 0 #409 19 2,041
Austria Boys 0 #420 23 2,180
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
PH Girls 0 #426 4 13,098
SD Boys 0 #427 19 10,523
CL 0 #428 7 6,867
MX 0 #439 7 8,339
Spain 0 #441 12 2,326
CO Boys 0 #456 649 15,656
CO 0 #457 24 7,768
AR Boys 0 #458 10 7,628
LY 0 #465 71 12,703
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
RU Boys 0 #485 21 12,621
BO Boys 0 #489 104 9,244
PA Girls 0 #511 8 9,861
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
BH 0 #537 17 17,937
PS Boys 0 #539 10 10,655
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
CL Boys 0 #547 120 13,390
CM Girls 0 #555 6 11,671
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
SG Girls 0 #561 26 18,916
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
CR Girls 0 #571 3 11,342
QA Boys 0 #578 130 18,093
HK Girls 0 #580 36 16,104
NG Girls 0 #584 209 15,093
AE Girls 0 #594 4 20,968
BD Boys 0 #603 3 10,045
IL Boys 0 #617 9 10,983
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
BO Girls 0 #649 3 9,488
Finland Boys 2026 #652 31 3,552
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
Spain Boys 0 #667 275 5,610
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
United States Boys 2024 #693 201 7,044
IQ Boys 0 #694 4 13,071
IT 0 #694 21 4,183
MX Boys 0 #710 281 16,355
KW Boys 0 #724 46 18,755
SY 0 #764 4 11,684
OM Boys 0 #784 98 17,948
Germany Boys 0 #847 106 5,697
TN 0 #858 8 13,765
EG Boys 0 #866 21 15,035
IT Boys 0 #877 634 10,046
CL Girls 0 #912 4 14,098
United States Girls 2004 #912 5 9,828
MY Girls 0 #922 73 24,821
BR Girls 0 #929 13 12,708
IN Boys 0 #932 70 16,750
PE Girls 0 #933 11 14,861
AE Boys 0 #944 149 22,615
SA Girls 0 #1,008 7 25,931
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
ZA Girls 0 #1,106 36 25,928
MA 0 #1,109 20 20,986
CO Girls 0 #1,146 7 16,140
DZ 0 #1,156 21 20,130
TR 0 #1,178 34 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,265 3 17,781
SA Boys 0 #1,408 207 28,008
IT Girls 0 #1,436 11 9,415

Kelvin is popular in 87 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
France
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Kelvin

Kelvin is predominantly a boy's name.
Kelvin is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈkɛlvɪn/ (KEL-vin).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kelvyn, Kelven and Kel.
Yes, very popular — Kelvin ranked #1 in Ireland in 2022, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Kelvin ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2022).
Kelvin's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2012 to #1 in 2022 in Ireland.
Yes — 1 notable people named Kelvin are in our database, including Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Actor|musician).