Given name
Gawain
“a little white falcon”
Gawain is a variant of Gavin. One Welsh interpretation is “a little white falcon.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Gawain is a variant of Gavin. One Welsh interpretation is “a little white falcon.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Gawain is a variant of Gavin. A possible origin is Celtic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1948. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Gawain is a variant of Gavin. The history of Gavin gives this family its wider story. Gavin’s literary history includes the stories of King Arthur and his knights.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Gawain through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 90
- 90 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1974
- 10 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #12,658 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 12,658 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 10 in 1974. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 198 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gawain’s family of names
In English usage, Gawain shares an earlier linguistic root with Gavin. In English usage, Gawain has a conventional equivalent in the French form GAUVAIN. Gawain has a related form in Gavin.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Gawain
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Gawain, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lancelot
Lancelot is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “an attendant; in Arthurian legend, a knight of the Round Table.” Its derivation is not certain.
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Percival is used as a given name, a surname, and a nickname. One French interpretation is “one who can pierce the vale; in Arthurian legend, the only one who could retrieve the Holy Grail.”
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Gueniver
—
Reggie
“the king's advisor” · “queen”
87% boys · 13% girls
Guennola
“one who is fair; of the white ring”
—
Guanhumora
—