Knight Names
“Sir” is only the beginning. The knights who stuck in popular memory had names that sounded like the stories told about them: Lancelot, Galahad, Roland, El Cid. This list gathers more than 100 knight names from Arthurian legend, real medieval history and heroic poetry, along with the Norman first names a typical 12th-century knight actually carried and original names ready for your own paladin.
If you’re naming a character, match the name to the era and the land. A Norman knight in England would be Geoffrey or Hugh; a Spanish one, Rodrigo. Round out the court with king names and queen names, or browse the wider world of medieval names.
Knights of the Round Table
The core names of Arthurian romance, drawn from Welsh tales, French romances and Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. Many have roots in Welsh names.
| Name | Known for | Name origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lancelot | Greatest knight, lover of Guinevere | Old French, possibly “servant” |
| Galahad | Achieved the Holy Grail | Possibly Hebrew Gilead |
| Gawain | Arthur’s nephew; the Green Knight tale | Welsh Gwalchmei, “hawk of May” |
| Percival | Grail seeker, the holy fool | Old French, “pierce the valley” |
| Tristan | Doomed lover of Isolde | Brittonic Drustan, possibly “tumult” |
| Bedivere | Returned Excalibur to the lake | Welsh Bedwyr |
| Kay | Arthur’s foster brother and steward | Welsh Cai, from Latin Caius |
| Gareth | Served in the kitchens as “Beaumains” | Origin uncertain |
| Gaheris | Brother of Gawain | Old French |
| Agravain | Exposed Lancelot and Guinevere | Old French, “proud, harsh” |
| Mordred | Arthur’s betrayer | Welsh Medrawd |
| Lamorak | Among the strongest knights | Old French |
| Bors | Grail knight who returned to Camelot | Old French |
| Lionel | Brother of Bors | Old French, “little lion” |
| Ector | Arthur’s foster father | From Hector |
| Palamedes | Saracen knight who hunted the Questing Beast | Greek |
| Dagonet | Arthur’s jester, knighted | Old French |
| Pelleas | Loved by Nimue | Old French |
| Yvain | The Knight of the Lion | Welsh Owain, “well-born” |
| Geraint | Hero of Geraint and Enid | Welsh, from Latin Gerontius |
| Erec | Hero of Chrétien’s Erec and Enide | Breton |
| Sagramore | “The Desirous” | Old French |
| Lucan | Arthur’s butler | From Latin Lucanus |
| Griflet | One of the earliest knights | Possibly Welsh Gilfaethwy |
| Tor | Son of Pellinore | Old French |
Real knights from history
Crusaders, tournament champions and national heroes whose names were famous across Europe. See also medieval last names.
| Name | Who he was | Era |
|---|---|---|
| William Marshal | “The greatest knight,” served five English kings | 1146–1219 |
| Rodrigo Díaz | El Cid, hero of Castile | c. 1043–1099 |
| Godfrey of Bouillon | Leader of the First Crusade | c. 1060–1100 |
| Tancred | Norman-Italian crusader | c. 1075–1112 |
| Bohemond | Prince of Antioch | c. 1054–1111 |
| Hugues de Payens | Founder of the Knights Templar | c. 1070–1136 |
| Jacques de Molay | Last Grand Master of the Templars | c. 1243–1314 |
| Bertrand du Guesclin | “The Eagle of Brittany” | c. 1320–1380 |
| John Chandos | English commander, Hundred Years’ War | c. 1320–1369 |
| Hotspur | Sir Henry Percy | 1364–1403 |
| Geoffroi de Charny | Wrote the Book of Chivalry | c. 1306–1356 |
| Bayard | Pierre Terrail, “knight without fear and beyond reproach” | c. 1476–1524 |
| Ulrich von Liechtenstein | Tournament knight and poet | c. 1200–1275 |
| Jan Žižka | Hussite general | c. 1360–1424 |
| James Douglas | “The Black Douglas,” ally of Robert the Bruce | c. 1286–1330 |
| Balian of Ibelin | Defender of Jerusalem, 1187 | c. 1143–1193 |
Everyday Norman knightly first names
These are the names you’d actually find on a 12th-century muster roll. More in medieval boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Geoffrey | Possibly “God’s peace” | Germanic |
| Hugh | “Mind, heart” | Germanic |
| Guy | “Wood” or “guide” | Germanic, via French |
| Roger | “Famous spear” | Germanic |
| Ralph | “Wolf counsel” | Norse, via Norman French |
| Reginald | “Counsel power” | Germanic |
| Gilbert | “Bright pledge” | Germanic |
| Fulk | “People” | Germanic |
| Odo | “Wealth” | Germanic |
| Aymer | “Home ruler” | Germanic, via French |
| Amaury | “Work power” | Germanic, via French |
| Baldwin | “Bold friend” | Germanic |
| Raoul | French form of Ralph | Norman French |
| Humphrey | “Peaceful warrior” | Germanic |
| Waleran | “Foreign raven” | Germanic |
| Brian | Possibly “high, noble” | Breton / Irish |
| Walter | “Army ruler” | Germanic |
| Eustace | “Fruitful” | Greek, via French |
Knights of epic and romance
Heroes from the Song of Roland, Spenser and Ariosto, and other chivalric tales.
| Name | Source | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Roland | Song of Roland | Died at Roncevaux, blowing his horn |
| Oliver | Song of Roland | Roland’s wise companion |
| Rinaldo | Italian epics | Cousin of Orlando |
| Orlando | Orlando Furioso | Roland, driven mad by love |
| Redcrosse | The Faerie Queene | Knight of Holiness, slays the dragon |
| Guyon | The Faerie Queene | Knight of Temperance |
| Ivanhoe | Walter Scott’s novel | Disinherited Saxon knight |
| Quixote | Cervantes | Self-made knight of La Mancha |
| Parzival | Wolfram von Eschenbach | German Grail hero |
| Lohengrin | German legend | Swan Knight |
| Huon | Huon of Bordeaux | Aided by the fairy king Oberon |
Female knights and warrior women
Women did defend castles and ride in armor, and literature is full of lady knights. See female warrior names.
| Name | Who she was | Real or fiction |
|---|---|---|
| Britomart | Knight of Chastity | The Faerie Queene |
| Bradamante | Undefeated warrior maiden | Orlando Furioso |
| Clorinda | Muslim warrior in Tasso’s epic | Jerusalem Delivered |
| Marfisa | Warrior queen | Orlando Furioso |
| Nicholaa de la Haye | Held Lincoln Castle through two sieges | Real, c. 1150–1230 |
| Isabel de Conches | Rode armed like a knight | Real, 11th century |
| Jeanne de Clisson | “Lioness of Brittany” | Real, 1300–1359 |
| Joan | Joan of Arc, led French armies | Real, 1412–1431 |
| Éowyn | Shieldmaiden of Rohan | Tolkien |
| Brienne | Brienne of Tarth | Game of Thrones |
Original knight names for characters
Invented but period-plausible names for games, novels and D&D paladins.
| Name | Style / vibe | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Aldous Ironside | Stern and steadfast | Veteran knight |
| Cedric Valebrand | Bright, heroic | Young champion |
| Edric Thornwall | Solid, northern | Castle defender |
| Osmund Greyhelm | Gruff | Old retainer |
| Leofric Ashford | Anglo-Saxon grace | Noble knight |
| Alaric Dawnshield | Radiant | Paladin |
| Rowan Blackmere | Brooding | Wandering knight |
| Tristram Hale | Romantic | Knight-errant |
| Everard Lionheart | Classic valor | Crusader |
| Godwin Stormhold | Powerful | Knight-commander |
| Aveline Swordbright | Proud | Lady knight |
| Maude Falconer | Sharp, capable | Scout-knight |
| Percival Oakheart | Gentle, earnest | Squire turned knight |
| Isolde Ravencrest | Mysterious | Lady knight |
| Baldric Stonebridge | Humble, steady | Bridge warden |
Famous knights’ horses
A knight was nothing without his destrier. Want more? See horse names.
| Name | Rider | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gringolet | Gawain | Arthurian romance |
| Llamrei | King Arthur | Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen |
| Babieca | El Cid | Spanish legend |
| Veillantif | Roland | Song of Roland |
| Rocinante | Don Quixote | Cervantes |
| Hengroen | King Arthur | Welsh Triads |
| Tencendur | Charlemagne | Song of Roland |
How to choose a knight name
- Use “Sir” plus a first name for Arthurian flavor (Sir Kay), or first name plus place for historical realism (Balian of Ibelin).
- Norman names like Geoffrey, Hugh and Roger are more accurate for a real medieval setting than Lancelot or Galahad, which are literary.
- Invent a surname from a place, a weapon or a deed: Thornwall, Greyhelm, Swordbright.
- An epithet gives instant character: “the Bold,” “the Unhorsed,” “the Grail-seeker.”
- For a paladin, borrow a virtue: Spenser named his knights for Holiness, Temperance and Chastity. Our names that mean brave help too.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most famous knight?
Sir Lancelot is the most famous knight of legend. Among real knights, William Marshal and El Cid are the best-known medieval examples.
What are the names of the Knights of the Round Table?
The core knights include Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, Percival, Tristan, Bedivere, Kay, Gareth, Bors and Lamorak, though lists vary by source.
Were there female knights?
There was no formal order of women knights in the Middle Ages, but women like Nicholaa de la Haye defended castles, and the women of Tortosa were honored as the Order of the Hatchet in 1149.
What were real medieval knights called?
Mostly ordinary Norman or local names: Geoffrey, Hugh, Roger, William, Ralph, Guy and Reginald were typical in England and France.