Arthurian Name Generator

Arthurian names are a blend of three languages laid down over eight centuries of storytelling. The oldest layer is Welsh: Arthur's companions in Culhwch and Olwen are Cai, Bedwyr, Gwalchmai, and Medrawd, and Merlin was Myrddin. Twelfth-century French romancers — Chrétien de Troyes and the authors of the Vulgate Cycle — turned those into Kay, Bedivere, Gawain, and Mordred, and added their own knights with French bynames: Lancelot du Lac, Bors de Ganis, Sagramore le Desirous, Balin le Savage. Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (1485) fixed the English forms most readers know today. German poets contributed a Grail cast of their own: Parzival, Feirefiz, Condwiramurs, Anfortas, Lohengrin.

A characteristic Arthurian name is a first name plus a descriptive tag or a place: "le Savage," "de Galis," "of Astolat," "the Butler," "Beaumains" (fair hands). Kings are known by their realm — Lot of Orkney, Ban of Benwick, Mark of Cornwall — and ladies often by a title or home: Elaine of Corbenic, the Lady of the Lake, Dame Ragnell. Several characters appear under multiple names because a scribe re-spelled them, which is why Ywain, Owain, and Uwaine are one man and Iseult, Isolde, and Ysolt are one woman.

For new characters set in Camelot, follow the pattern: a Brittonic or Norman first name, then a byname built on a place, a trait, or a color, and you will fit alongside the canon.