Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?

Subject: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 12:32 PM

So where *does* the name come from? Sorry if this has been asked before - I couldn't find it on the search if it has.

This is a serious question - I'm not looking for references to St Elvis, Patron Saint of National Guitars, etc.

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 12:46 PM

One place says that it's of Scandanavian origin and means "All Wise."

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: okthen
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 01:12 PM

Not a typo from Lord of the Rings then, shoild be Elvish?

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: okthen
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 01:12 PM

should be should

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: Raedwulf
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 01:25 PM

It's possibly a variation on Elwin (ælfwine - elf friend, OEnglish; modern Alvin), but more likely, as Rap says, a variation of Alviss "All-wise", a dwarf mentioned in Norse religion. IIRC, All-wise was also a soubriquet of Kvasir the dwarf (also from Norse religion).

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: Raedwulf
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 01:27 PM

And for the story of Alviss, see here!

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 01:31 PM

Someone just forgot the "p" in pelvis.

I know you wanted a serious reply but....

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 03:53 PM

There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's elvish !

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: CraigS
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 05:50 PM

My memory says that Elvis is an anglicised spelling of Elwys, which comes into common use from Saint Elwys, who was Welsh and lived near St Davids.

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: Snuffy
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 06:03 PM

And Presley is supposed to be an anglicisation of Preseli. So the King was Welsh, then?

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 06:22 PM

When he was alive he claimed to be of Scottish decent. Twenty years after his death he was mostly Irish and part Jewish. Folk process???

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: toadfrog
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 06:35 PM

Back in the 1950's, it was widely believed to be an anagram of EVILS, and part of a satanic plot.

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: BanjoRay
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 08:03 PM

I knew a few people in South Wales called Pressley with two Ss. The South Wales angle sounds good to me (St Elwys, Preseli - pronounced Presselly)
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 11:53 PM

Yall's got it wrang! El Vis in the lingo means Cool !

The south is too hot! And he was NOT bleeding scottish, more likely Cajun.

Subject: RE: Origins: Where does the name Elvis come from?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 Sep 03 - 06:50 PM

G'day,

I seem to remember an article, a few years back, where the Welsh pointed ut that they have a (single, but old) St Elvis's church somewhere about the country ... and mentioning the surname Preseli.

(So, maybe we should be looking in a chip shop in Cardiff ... Er ... Burl ... ?)

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton