Names

Choosing a name for yourself is an important step in your life in
the Order. Names consist of two parts. First is the Arthurian name.
This is the name of an Arthurian character for whom you feel a special
affinity. Some names are off limits, for many reasons. Merlin, for
example, is the name we give to our primary God, and so you shouldn't
hope to take that name (though some of its variations are permitted).
Arthur is another name you can't use, not only to respect the first King
Arthur, but also so that no one in the Order has the burden of living up
to the first Arthur. On the other hand, many of the variations of
Arthur are permitted as diminutives, that is, nicknames given to
children. When a child reaches the age of thirteen, he puts aside his
diminutive in favor of a new, adult name. The names of other kings,
such as Lot, Pellinore, Uriens, Gorlois, Mark, and Pelles, are frowned
upon, but not actually banned.

The second part of a Companion's name is the more personal name.
This can be almost anything, so long as it somehow sounds medieval.
This can be a favorite nickname, a place name ("of Wolfwood"), or some
attribute ("the Brave"). Putting the second name into French is very
popular, since many of the original romances were in French, and these
names stick even in Mallory's English rendition. For example, Lancelot
is "du Lac," French for "of the Lake." Household names are also
popular, as are names of non-Arthurian Celtic heroes and gods.
This is the most important part of your name, as it marks you as
an individual. It distinguishes Lancelot of the Red Lion from Lancelot
le Noir, and Gawain Ravenshadow from Gawain the Gold Knight.

This is often the hardest part of a name to have approved, for not
only must you pick one that no one else has (in conjunction with the
first name -- four Percival the Trues would be more than a little
confusing), it must also somehow fit.

Here are some of the more famous (and not-so-famous) characters of
the Arthurian legends, along with some basic information about each
character. Using this list as a starting point, you should read as much
about the characters you feel most closely drawn to before selecting a
name.