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The name Elvis irresistibly conjures up the image of the legendary singer and musician Elvis Presley who got fans and critics all shook up with his unique sound and performances which were considered very outrageous for their time. In fact the name is so strongly associated with him that he is often referred to as simply Elvis' and many people with this name have been given it in tribute to Presley or have adopted it themselves for the same reason.

ETYMOLOGY:

The meaning of the masculine name Elvis (Pronounced ELL-viss) is not defiantly known.
It is commonly thought that it derives from the Old English Alviss which means wise.

Another less likely possibility is that it derives from the Teutonic name Elwin which means noble friend or elf friend.

ORIGIN & HISTORY:

The name is thought to have possibly originated in Scandinavia and was borne by a Celtic Saint who supposedly baptized Saint David.

POPULARITY:

The name Elvis has fluctuated in popularity in the United States over the years, a notable steep rise during the fifties is certainly due to the successful career of singer and actor Elvis Aaron Presley.

The name experienced another peak in the nineties, in 1999 it reached it's highest ranking, 546th, this peak is probably due to the resurgence of Elvis iconography in fashion and the general fashion trend of rockabilly making a comeback at this time.

Elvis has been on a decline since 2002 and in 2006 it ranked as the 761st most popular name for new born baby boys in the US.

The name is also popular in Sweden.

FASCINATING FACTS:

In Wales, Pembrokeshire, there is a Neolithic burial chamber which bears the name of St Elvis Cromlech', also in this area is St Elvis Farm' and the Preseli Hills.

This is considered by most people to be an eerie co-incidence but there are some people who theorise that this, along with Elvis' mother having a Welsh name, Gladys, proves Elvis Presley was of Welsh ancestry.

The UK based pet charity PDSA undertook a study which indicated that Elvis ranks as number 8 in the top 10 names given to pet dogs in Britain.

FAMOUS PERSONS:

Elvis McGonagall, a radical poet and British World Slam championship winner.

Elvis Costello (born August 25th, 1954 as Declan Patrick MacManus), a British musician and singer known for his diversity.

Elvis Aaron Presley (born January 8th 1935), an American singer, musician and actor.

Elvis Aaron Knapman (born May 10th, 1985), a Canadian race car driver.

NAMESAKES:

The Elvis helicopter is an Erickson S-64 Air-Crane Helitanker, it is used Australia for the suppression of bush fires.

Elvis was the name of an award winning 2005 mini series from CBS.

Elvis is the name of a character in the video game God Hand.

NAME VARIANTS:

Elvis has 6 variant forms: Alvis, Alvys, Elvio, Elviss, Elvo and Elvys.

Learn more about this author, Stefanina Hill.
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