Gawain
GAW-wayn
A legendary Arthurian name often linked to a hawk-like warrior spirit.
Meaning
The excerpts gloss Gawain as “Eng. Kelt, hawk of battle,” pointing to a Celtic/Arthurian name associated with a bird of prey and combat. The name is especially known from the Arthurian knight Sir Gawain, and the same source links it with the Welsh form Gwalchmai.
Origin
WelshEnglishArthurian legendmasculine
Fun fact
One excerpt notes that Gawain, Gawen, or Gavin lingered as a surname/forename in parts of Cumberland and the Furness district into the last century.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature.