Mel vs Mervyn
Mel and Mervyncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1989, Mel was ranked #307 and Mervyn #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Mel and Mervyn over time
Mel and Mervyn appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Mervyn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Mel in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1972, Mervyn moved ahead of Mel in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #217 and #257 the year before became #238 and #168.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mel and Mervyn changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 1989, ending at #307 and #278.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Mel #129 in 1964, Mervyn #136 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1964–1989
Mel held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Mervyn in 13.
Highest recorded here: Mel #129 in 1964, Mervyn #136 in 1964.
The order changed in 1972: Mervyn moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #217 and #257; by 1972 that had become #238 and #168.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Mel #307, Mervyn #278.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Mel | Mervyn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3996 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mel has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Mervyn.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Mel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #129 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2012
Highest recorded position: #129 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Mervyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #85 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #85 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #3996 among boys in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Boys