Why are there so many odd southern names like Elvis, Narvel, and Travis, etc?

22 comments

1. Travis is an odd sounding name?

2. Different groups of immigrants. Still a lot more people of Anglo-Scottish descent in the south, which is where these names come from. I think Travis is pretty mainstream though.

   Edit: Yes, some of those names don’t *exactly* come from the British Isles but they were brought over by British immigrants.

3. Elvis was a superstar and from Mississippi and Memphis. It makes sense that people who like his music/were huge fans of his would name their kids after him

4. One of the names you’ve given is Scandinavian in origin (Elvis), one is French (Travis) and one does have roots in America, but I’ve never met anyone with the name Narvel before.

5. Who’s named Narvel?

6. Travis is all over the US not just the south. Very common and normal name here. I’m from Michigan, live in Colorado.

7. Who is Narvel? That sounds like a scifi character.

8. Travis sounds vaguely Southern to me because of Randy Travis and Travis Tritt. I have met a few people named Travis.

   I don’t think I’ve met an Elvis in person. In my mind it’s equally split between Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello.

   Never heard Narvel before. Sounds like somebody’s cat.

   Edit: Isn’t French Voldemort named Elvis?

9. Kinda rude, calling actual people’s names “odd”.

10. Elvis and Travis are not odd. That other one I’ve never heard.

11. Since when is Travis an odd Southern name?

12. A lot of “weird” American names are Anglicized versions of traditional names from other European languages.

13. tf is Narvel lol, sounds like an alien lol

14. If Travis is odd, what do you consider a “normal” name? I’ve at least heard the name Larvell, but never Narvel. And why do you believe this is something that is more common in southern states?

15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narvel provides little clear evidence as to why, but it does look like all 3 listed are from the south. https://www.behindthename.com/name/norval/submitted says Norval is a probably a variant of Norville, and https://www.behindthename.com/name/narvel/submitted is just a later development of that.

16. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks, dear, or we will start finding “odd” new england names.

17. Narvel sounds like a fake name. Never heard of anyone named that.

    It looks like Elvis is originally a Welsh name via Irish (the name of a Welsh saint who was popular in Ireland). Travis is a French name that became popular in England thanks to the Normans. So, both names you can blame on the British for ending up in the US.

18. Ah yes, those famously southern Travises. Like Kelce (Ohio), Pastrana (Maryland), and Zajac (Manitoba).

19. There are so many weird names everywhere. It’s possible the South just stayed weird a bit longer.

    A couple friends and I were talking about CorningWare (a glass dish company) yesterday, and it turns out it’s named for Corning NY, which in turn is named for [Erastus Corning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erastus_Corning)

20. Travis? Like Travis Kelce from Ohio?

21. Travis is an odd sounding name?

    Also, Narvel? I’m pretty sure you made that one up.

22. Travis was originally a last name(like William Travis, the commander of the defenders of the Alamo who [wrote a very famous letter at the defense that a lot of young Texans learn by heart](https://youtu.be/ddrSvO735L8?si=5fp3S8O3Uj-4dGB9) and thought to come from Old French. It also isn’t strictly a Southern name.