The Icelandic Committee on Human Names recently approved the name Elvis and so Iceland’s first Elvis was baptized on January 29. Elvis is actually the boy’s middle name; his full name is Theodór Elvis Ólafsson.

Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll. Publicity photo for Jailhouse Rock (1957). Source: Wikipedia.

“The number of Icelanders is increasing and so are possible names,” commented the boy’s father, Ólafur Dadi Helgason, to Fréttabladid. He said the family had been pleased with the name. “We kept it secret but the reaction in the church wasn’t even mixed. Everyone thought it was cool.”

“However, there was one member of the family who didn’t quite get it, my grandfather, Dr. Ólafur Halldórsson, a specialist in the Icelandic language. His is 91 and feels people should just have one name,” he added.

As to why they picked the name, Helgason said he and his fiancé, Olga Möller, just liked the sound of it. “We’re no Elvis freaks. There’s no Elvis altar behind us. I have a picture of Mick Jagger on the wall, not Elvis. It is not about that.”

Helgason admitted that he is an Elvis fan, though, being in possession of the King’s albums and one or two Elvis t-shirts. But the name is the main thing, he maintained. “It’s a cool name and maybe we’re honoring rock and roll as well.”

Now that the name has been permitted, Helgason hopes expectant parents won’t overuse it. “No one thinks clichés are funny,” he said. “Hopefully it will be used in moderation in respect of our work to have it approved.”

The Committee on Human Names concluded that the name Elvis is declined the following way in Icelandic: Elvis (nominative), Elvis (accusative), Elvisi (dative) and Elvisar (genitive), visir.is reports.

The names Alida, Þórbjörn and Mundína were also approved in January but Grimmi, Annarr, Nikolaison and Kjárr were rejected.

Click here to see a picture of baby Theodór Elvis.