Meaning: Its source is ali wer, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Truly foreign."

Nickname For: Elvira

Popularity: The name Elvie ranked 2570th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: Many names emerged before the development of writing, or evolved from oral traditions, so when we investigate the origins of names, written records are of limited use.

Modern scholars rely on a host of techniques to overcome these difficulties, but researching names of truly obscure origin involves a blend of scholarship and educated guesswork. In cases such as this name, a theory on its origin and meaning has been developed, but it is not universally accepted.

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