Wikipedia
Alavi (surname)
The surname Alavi (often spelled as Alvi and can be also seen spelled as Alaoui or Alawi) signifies ancestry from Ali ibn Abi Talib , the fourth Caliph of Sunni Islam. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and titled Amir al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) by his followers.