OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Arthurian Name Generator
Knights of the Round Table, Camelot Ladies and Enchanters in Malory Style
OneTask is free, with no sign-up, and built by one person.
If this tool saved you time, a coffee helps keep new ones coming.
How the Arthurian Name Generator works
An Arthurian name generator for knights of the Round Table, ladies and queens, and the enchanters of Avalon. Names follow Malory and the French romances, with Sir and Dame, the le Noir and le Hardi style bynames, and castles like Joyous Gard and the Perilous Ford. Pick a kind and gender and fill a round table.
How the Arthurian name generator works
Arthurian names come from three layers: Welsh originals like Bedwyr and Cai, French romance forms like Lancelot and Yvain, and Malory's English versions like Gareth and Lamorak. The name tables mix all three, so a knight might sound Welsh, French or English, just as the Round Table did. Many knights are named by where they come from or by an epithet: the Knight of the Lion, the Ill-Made Knight, Beaumains, the Fair Hands. The generator adds one of those for the full effect.
Knights, ladies and enchanters
The Knight option gives a Sir or a Dame with a home or a byname. Lady gives the ladies, queens and lake-dwellers who set quests and hold castles; with the gender set to male it gives kings and court officials. Enchanter gives the Morgan le Fay and Merlin figures, with the fay title, a lake or a hermit's tower. Female knights are rare in the old romances but not absent, and Dame is the correct form.
Using the names
For an Arthurian campaign, generate a dozen knights, then give each a castle and a quest. Bynames like le Noir or the Knight with the Sleeve are especially useful for mysterious knights whose real names are revealed later, a device the romances use constantly. For medieval knights outside the Arthurian world, see the knight name page.
FAQ
Are these real knights of the Round Table?
Some names, such as Gareth, Lamorak or Ywain, are real knights from Malory. Others are new names built from the same Welsh and French sources. The Round Table had over a hundred knights in some versions, so new members fit without breaking the legend.
What does le Fay mean?
Le Fay comes from the French for fairy, and marks a woman with otherworldly power. Morgan le Fay is the most famous, but the romances have many enchantresses tied to lakes and islands. The generator adds le Fay to some enchantress names for that effect.
Why do some knights have French bynames like le Noir?
Most Arthurian romances were written in French, and knights were often called by a feature: le Noir, the black, le Hardi, the bold, le Savage, the wild. Malory kept many of these. A byname is a good way to name a knight whose identity is hidden.
Can I use these names in my novel or game?
Yes. The Arthurian legends are public domain, including Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Avoid names invented by recent novels or films if you want to be safe, but anything in the medieval sources, and anything generated here, is free to use.
See also: all Fantasy & RPG tools, People, Sci-fi, Culture & Language, Online & Social, Business & Brand, Places & Things.
Related tools
7th Sea Name Generator
Swashbuckler names for seven European-inspired nations.
Aarakocra / Birdfolk Name Generator
Trilling aarakocra names, wind names, elders and aerie names.
Aasimar Name Generator
Celestial aasimar names, human-born names and angelic guides.
Adventuring Party Name Generator
Heroic, mercenary and funny names for a D&D adventuring party.
Albion Online Name Generator
Player names, guild names and alliance names for a sandbox MMO.