Gavin

Gavin is the late medieval Lowland Scottish and English form of the ancient Welsh masculine name Gawain (although its etymology is not altogether certain). Gawain, in turn, is generally associated with the ancient Celtic Gwalchgwyn, from the Welsh elements “gwalch” meaning “hawk” and “gwyn” meaning “white, fair”. Gawain is best remembered as Sir Gawain, one of the notable Knights of the Roundtable in Arthurian legends. It was said that Gawain’s power grew as the sun heightened in the sky, and diminished as the sun set. The name was made most famous by a lengthy medieval poem written in a dialect of Middle English sometime in the 14th century (by an unknown author) called “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” (or “Sir Gawayn ande the Grene Knyӡt” in its Middle English variation). Sir Gawain is basically romanticized as the perfect knight; the embodiment of all that is excellent. He’s handsome, loyal, strong, brave and chivalrous. See literary references below for more detail. Although Gawain/Gavin is essentially an ancient Celtic name, it was pretty much forgotten by the 18th century. Fortunately this “white hawk” is flying again (after a 20th century revival). First it was resurrected in England and Ireland, but today Sir Gavin is most popular in the United States and Canada.