Alvin means noble friend or "elf friend" from the Old English name Ælfwine, which was formed of the elements ælf "elf" and wine "friend".

Can a name really make you who you are and what you will become? Did Clinton become a President simply because his name is Bill Clinton, and not Sebastian Clinton instead? What would have happened to Madonna if her name is actually Maggie? Some say that the hidden meaning of a name is more akin to astrology or fortune telling than true etymological science. Can we change our destiny (if you believe in that sort of thing) by simple changing our names? Well, lots of immigrants have certainly tried. As a matter of fact, I just did it last year. I went to the Court, paid them $400 and got a decree for name change. And I did it because first of all, nobody can really pronounce my Chinese name without me raising my left eyebrow and saying "who?". Second of all, some companies (especially the credit card company!) would sometimes send me my brother’s bills/letters  by mistake since we used to live together and both shared the same first and last name. See, traditional Chinese family uses Last name, follows by a generation name, then ends with a unique given name. So my cousins from my dad's side all have the same first name (which is our generation name) and last names. And last but not least, my friends had been calling me "Alvin" since I was in high school. That was my “Christian Name” given by my Auntie Annie but unfortunately not published on my birth certificate. Anyway, the main reason is that everyone seems to know and love "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and because of that, my name is always quite easy to be remembered.