# Elvis as a first name **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556 "2013-10-29T15:38:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/1 "2013-10-29T15:38:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/2 "2013-10-29T15:54:50Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > 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? Not a surname - [Elvis was an English first name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_%28name%29) (not terribly common, but not unknown). It was [also his dad’s middle name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley#Early_years_.281935.E2.80.9353.29). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/3 "2013-10-29T15:55:57Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/4 "2013-10-29T18:19:45Z")
Thank you, Bup and Kunilou. You’ve answered my question.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/5 "2013-10-29T18:29:38Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/6 "2013-10-29T18:40:13Z")
> [@Avulsed Brainstem](#): > > 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? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/7 "2013-10-29T18:44:26Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > Godwin? 😕 You know who else never heard of Godwin? [Hitler!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law) ---
**Author:** ![Tante\_Dillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Tante\_Dillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tante_Dillie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/8 "2013-10-29T18:48:14Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > You know who else never heard of Godwin? [Hitler!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law) Oh, _Godwin_. Thank you, Colophon. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/9 "2013-10-29T19:12:49Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > You know who else never heard of Godwin? [Hitler!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law) Well, that’s the end of this thread! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/10 "2013-10-29T20:27:18Z")
> [@Avulsed Brainstem](#): > > 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.) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/11 "2013-10-29T21:11:00Z")
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!”. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/12 "2013-10-30T02:18:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 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) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ADgS_vMGgzY/hqdefault.jpg "Michael Bolton") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADgS_vMGgzY) ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/13 "2013-10-30T03:53:54Z")
Indeed, one of my second cousins, born in deep East Texas circa 1920, was named Elvis. [Baby Name Wizard](http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/boy/elvis) says popularity peaked in 2007, at 81 out of every million American babies. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/14 "2013-10-30T04:06:02Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Indeed, one of my second cousins, born in deep East Texas circa 1920, was named Elvis. > > [Baby Name Wizard](http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/boy/elvis) 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.” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/15 "2013-10-30T07:39:15Z")
> [@Tante\_Dillie](#): > > 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? Well, they just _knew_ he was going to grow up to be ELVIS PRESLEY, so they _had_ to name him that! > [@Avulsed Brainstem](#): > > 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.) Napoleon? Michaelangelo? Dante? ETA: Crazy Eddie? 🙂 ETA: Pretty much ALL significant Old Testament names. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/16 "2013-10-30T07:49:42Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/17 "2013-10-30T08:07:40Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Napoleon? > Michaelangelo? > Dante? Toyah? Madonna? Leonardo? Saddam? Osama? ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/18 "2013-10-30T08:22:25Z")
Oprah ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/19 "2013-10-30T08:31:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556/20 "2013-10-30T08:37:56Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Madonna? Madonna, surely, is identified with at least two people? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-as-a-first-name/672556.md?page=2)