An English surname, the Alvis name is a form of the name Alvin, which comes from the Middle English ‘alfwin’ which means elf friend. Variations in spelling for Alvis include Alvy, Alves, Allvey, Aluy, Elvy, Alvi, Elphey and Alvie. In England the Alvis families are concentrated in the southwest section (Cornwall and Devon, Somerset counties) and bordering with southern Wales. Within the United States the earliest Alvis families were in colonial Virginia. From there many moved into Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas and California. Famous: Max Alvis (professional baseball player), Jacob Alvis (champion college football players) and Hayes Alvis (a jazz musician).