Does anyone know why Mr. and Mrs. Presley chose to name their surviving twin son Elvis? Was this a common first name in Tupelo in the 1930s? Was it a family surname from a past generation in one of their families?
I’ve seen discussion on the web about the spelling of his middle name - Aron vs Aaron - but no one seems to have explained the singular first name.
Not a surname - Elvis was an English first name (not terribly common, but not unknown).
It was also his dad’s middle name.
Presley’s father’s name was Vernon Elvis Presley.
As for Elvis’ middle name, my father’s middle name is Alan. Not to be confused with Allan, Allen, Alen, Alain, Ailin or other variants.
Thank you, Bup and Kunilou. You’ve answered my question.
I can’t think of many first names that have become so enduringly identified with one person. (A last name comes to mind, but let’s not Godwin the thread too early.)
Godwin? 
You know who else never heard of Godwin? Hitler!
Oh, Godwin. Thank you, Colophon.
Well, that’s the end of this thread! :eek:
There was the episode of MASH where a wounded soldier thought he was Jesus and Frank was trying to have him court martialed. Hawkeye observes that if he succeeds nobody will ever name their child Frank again.
I heard once of an interview with an American soldier in WWII who bore the name “Hitler”. The reporter asked him if he’d ever considered changing his name. “Hell no, let that sonofabitch change his!”.
Reminds me of this scene from Office Space. 
(Possibly mildly NSFW)
Indeed, one of my second cousins, born in deep East Texas circa 1920, was named Elvis.
Baby Name Wizard says popularity peaked in 2007, at 81 out of every million American babies.
There’s the Two Ronnies skit where the aging rock’n’roll fan with the 50’s haircut is showing a picture of “…my four boys - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Elvis.”
Well, they just knew he was going to grow up to be ELVIS PRESLEY, so they had to name him that!
Napoleon?
Michaelangelo?
Dante?
ETA: Crazy Eddie?
ETA: Pretty much ALL significant Old Testament names.
Leonardo. Raphael. Does Donatello count? His first name was Donato, so strictly speaking Donatello is a nick but an evident one.
Toyah?
Madonna?
Leonardo?
Saddam?
Osama?
Oprah
Leonardo, not so much any more, as the name is also attached to a well-known modern movie actor heart-throb.
Also a teenage mutant ninja warrior.
Madonna, surely, is identified with at least two people?