Name Meaning & Origin
"One of the greatest knights in Arthurian legend; he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table."
Data last updated: 2025 SSA records
Gawain, spelled many ways, is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legendary cycle. The prototype of Gawain appears under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest Welsh sources. He has subsequently appeared in many Arthurian tales in Welsh, Latin, French, English, Scottish, Dutch, German, Spanish, and Italian, notably as the protagonist of the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Other works featuring Gawain as their central character include De Ortu Waluuanii, Diu Crône, Ywain and Gawain, Golagros and Gawane, Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle, L'âtre périlleux, La Mule sans frein, La Vengeance Raguidel, Le Chevalier à l'épée, Le Livre d'Artus, The Awntyrs off Arthure, The Greene Knight, and The Weddynge of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnell.
Gawain, spelled many ways, is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legendary cycle. The prototype of Gawain appears under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest Welsh sources. He has subsequently appeared in many Arthurian tales in Welsh, Latin, French, English, Scottish, Dutch, German, Spanish, and Italian, notably as the protagonist of the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Other works featuring Gawain as their central character include De Ortu Waluuanii, Diu Crône, Ywain and Gawain, Golagros and Gawane, Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle, L'âtre périlleux, La Mule sans frein, La Vengeance Raguidel, Le Chevalier à l'épée, Le Livre d'Artus, The Awntyrs off Arthure, The Greene Knight, and The Weddynge of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnell.
Life Path 1 — Independence & Leadership: Natural-born leaders, ambitious, and self-reliant.
Age breakdown · state data · decade charts · popularity trend — all on the full statistics page.
Root element "Gawain" emerges in Multiple origins tradition, carrying the core meaning "One of the greatest knights in Arthurian legend; he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table.".
Used in English literary and religious texts, spreading through cultural exchange.
Carried across regions through trade, religion, and migration. Multiple spelling variants develop.
Standardized in its current form. Continues to be used across multiple cultures worldwide.
~85 people named Gawain in the US. Peaked in 1974 with 10 recorded uses.
The Life Path number for Gawain is 1, associated with Independence & Leadership. Soul Urge: 11. Personality: 8.
Gawain is Predominantly Male. Based on US data, 100% male and 0% female.
Approximately 85 people in the United States are named Gawain. The name peaked in 1974 with 10 recorded uses.
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