Meaning uncertain, from the Latin form
Walganus used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth. This was the name of a nephew of King
Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmei, and it is likely that the name derives from
GWALCHMEI. Alternatively it may have a different Celtic or even a Germanic origin. Gawain was a popular hero in medieval stories such as the 14th-century romantic poem 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'.
| GWALCHMEI male Welsh MythologyDerived from Welsh gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with mei "May (the month)". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend. He is probably the antecedent of Gawain from Arthurian romance. |