How to say it
GAV · in
/ˈɡæv.ɪn/
Masculine
Gavin
White hawk
What it means
A Scottish and Welsh form of Gawain; the meaning is uncertain, often read as 'white hawk' or 'hawk of May.'
Gavin is the Scottish and Welsh form of Gawain, the courteous knight of King Arthur's Round Table at the center of Gawain and the Green Knight. The original meaning is debated, with 'white hawk' and 'hawk of May' the usual guesses. It survived strongly in Scotland and spread widely in the late 20th century. It reads friendly and solid, with no fuss and no obvious nickname.
Popularity over time
peaked at #30 in 2008, currently #303 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
A modern form of the Arthurian Gawain.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Sir Gawain Round Table knight of Gawain and the Green Knight
- Gavin Newsom Governor of California
Spelling variants
- Gawain
- Gavyn
- Gaven
Names with the same feeling
See Gavin from another angle
By style