King Arthur Inspired Dog Names

Introduction

The Legend of King Arthur is among one of Britain's most cherished and culturally significant stories which has impacted people around the world, whether they know it or not; everyone has heard of the holy sword Excalibur, the halcyon kingdom of Camelot, or the virtuous Knights of the Round Table. And if a person hasn't heard of any of those concepts directly, than they've undoubtedly encountered those ideas indirectly, as the story of King Arthur has influenced many popular movies, games, books, and TV shows. Indeed, the Legend of King Arthur is so pervasive that the word "Arthurian" was created in order to reference all of the stories and characters related to Britain's mythical monarch. Though there has been much debate as to who the stories of Arthurian Legend where based on, the widespread cultural and religious significance of these tales is undeniable. People have contemplated Arthurian tales for centuries, and they'll likely continue to do so for many more years into the future, so if you'd like to give your dog a timeless, culturally significant, mythical name then look no further than the characters found withing Arthurian lore for inspiration.

King Arthur Inspired Dog Names In Pop Culture

Featured Famous King Arthur Dog

Cavall

Cavall, sometimes called Cabal, was King Arthur's favorite dog who became famous when he helped his master take down a mythical boar named Twrch Trwyth. Just as many of the stories attributed to King Arthur have been lost in time, so too have many of the stories attributed to Cavall. In fact, there's still much debate among Arthurian scholars in regards to which breed Cavall was, let alone what adventures he participated in or what time period Arthur came into ownership over the mythical dog. Nevertheless Cavall is recognized as being King Arthur's favorite hunting dog and his efforts in capturing Twrch Trwyth have been commemorated via the Wild Boar statue in Ammanford, Wales.

In many accounts, Cavall is said to have been a molossus dog breed. While the molossus breed of dog has long been extinct, it's considered to be the ancestor of many mastiff-type dog breeds, such as Great Danes, Rottweilers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Saint Bernards and many others. The strongest evidence that supports the likelihood of Cavall being a molossus is the possibility that Arthur may have had ancestors who fought in the Roman Legion and who would have likely bred molossus dogs to serve themselves and their descendants. Many of Cavall's attributes also are very consistent in the sort of things we see in modern mastiff type dogs; Cavall is said to have had a great sense of smell, direction, and intuition which helped him earn his place as King Arthur's favorite hunting dog. Those very qualities which made Cavall a legendary canine are featured quite prominently in mastiffs, lending credence to the claim that Cavall was molossus. But on that same coin, there are many other dog breeds (chiefly Beagles and Bloodhounds) who posses those traits as well, which makes it impossible to know which type of dog Cavall was with absolute certainty.

To add on to the confusion, King Arthur was also known to have hunted with a pack of gaze hounds (dogs like Greyhounds and Whippets) who relied on their sight and speed to catch prey. Among certain circles of Arthurian enthusiasts, the possibility of Cavall being a gaze hound isn't entirely out of the question either, as Arhur was just as emphatic about these types of dogs. We may never know, with absolute certainty, whether Cavall was a scent hound or a sight hound, but the mythical dog's bravery and hunting prowess are otherwise unquestionable.

King Arthur Inspired Dog Name Considerations

The people, places, and things found within Arthurian lore have become thoroughly entrenched in the bones of contemporary culture, so naming your dog after someone or something from Arthurian legend can give it a regal and uncanny quality. The likes of Arthur Pendragon, Merlin, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table are symbols of chivalry and poise, and they're often regarded as figures individuals should aspire to be like, especially the purest knight amongst them, Sir Galahad. One of main the reasons the characters of Arthurian legend have remained popular throughout the years is their ability to inspire the hearts and minds of people who learn of them, so naming your dog after one of those characters could create a similar result.

Another big reason the characters of Arthurian legend have remained as popular as they have been is due to their reliability; the Knights of the Round Table are virtuous souls but many of them are also tragically flawed in the same ways that we are. Indeed, these same flaws are often the driving force of many of their stories and, in the most dire of instances, lead to their undoing. Consider naming your dog, not after the Arthurian character whose name you like the most or whose deeds seem the most impressive, but who's heroic flaws mirror your own to act as a means of conscious inflection.

Male King Arthur Inspired Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
1	Arthur A reference to legendary king of Camelot himself
1	Merlin Arthur's trusted court wizard and one of Arthur's dearest friends
1	Tor A knight who is either the son of King Aries or the illegitimate son of Pellinore
0	Cavall King Arthur's trusted hunting dog and loyal companion
0	Cabal An alternative name for Cavall
0	Excalibur Arthur's sublime sword, given to him by the Lady of the Lake
0	Myrddin Said to be Merlin's Welsh original name before it was changed via localization
0	Lancelot A remorseful knight who was said to be the best swordsman in Arthur's court
0	Gawain King Arthur's nephew and something of a rival to Lancelot
0	Gwalchmei Gawain's original Welsh name
0	Agravaine A contentious member of Arthur's court who was also known as "Agravaine the Arrogant"
0	Percival Another member of Arthur's court who was highly regarded for his prowess and loyalty
0	Bedivere The Knight of the Round table who returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake
0	Galahad Lancelot's son who was said to be the purest of Arthur's knights
0	Kay Also known as "Kay the tall" who could allegedly grow to a gigantic size at will
0	Bors A close friend of Percival and Galahad's who participated in the Holy Grail Quest
0	Mordred King Arthur's illegitimate son, who would eventually fell his father out of spite
0	Pelleas A love-struck member of Arthur's court who only had eyes for Ettard, until he met Nimue
0	Morien A unique Knight of the Round Table who was said to have pitch black skin
0	Accolon An opposing knight who faced Arthur in battle, only to be bested by Camelot's king
0	Alexander Known as "Alexander the Orphan" who was able to resist the charms of Morgan Le Fay
0	Marrok A knight who was said to turn into a wolf on occasion
0	Gaheris A hot headed knight who slew his mother in a fit of unbridled rage
0	Tristan Another member of the Round Table who owned a bow he named "Fail-Not"
0	Ywain The member of Arthur's court known for aiding and befriending a lion
0	Owain Ywain's Welsh name, though he is also known as Yvain and Ewaine
0	Dagonet The jester of King Arthur's court who was knighted as a joke
0	Lamorak The Knight of the Round Table known for his great strength and bad temper
0	Aglovale Sir Percival's brother known for punishing those who abused women
0	Dinadan Known for his lighthearted nature but respected for his skill with a blade

Female King Arthur Inspired Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
1	Morgan After Morgan Le Fay, an evil witch and Arthur's half sister
1	Nimue A sorceress and the true identity of the enigmatic "Lady of the Lake"
0	Guinevere Arthur's love interest whose affair with Lancelot fractures the Round Table
0	Gwenhwyfar Guinevere's Welsh name; Gwenhwyfar was more of a warrior than Guinvevere
0	Morgause One of Arthur's distance siblings who tries to seduce him in many stories
0	Bellicent An alternative name for Morgause
0	Morgana Another name Morgan Le Fay is frequently called
0	Ettard The woman Pelleas pursued, despite her insistence not to, until a spell changed things
0	Ettare An alternative spelling for Ettard's name
0	Iseult Known as "Iseult the Fair" many knights fought for this woman's hand
0	Isolde Another name for Iseult, who only loved Tristan out all of her would-be suitors
0	Vivian An alternative name for the "Lady of the Lake," who gave Excalibur to Arthur
0	Rowena The wife of Vortigern, who was known as the "King of the Britons"
0	Renwein One of Rowena's older names
0	Igraine King Arthur and Morgan Le Fay's mother from different marriages
0	Eigyr Queen Igraine's original Welsh name
0	Ygrayne The name Queen Igraine is known by in "Le Morte d'Arthur," or "The Death of Arthur"
0	Arnive Igraine's given name in the German poem "Parzival"
0	Blasine Another of King Arthur's half sisters, though less devious than Morgan
0	Anna King Arthur's full sister,born from King Uther and Queen Igraine
0	Elaine Blasine's alternative, more commonly used name in modern times
0	Ganieda An enchantress and Merlin's half sister
0	Gwendydd Another given name ascribed to the enchantress, Ganieda
0	Ganicenda Another alternative name for Merlin's sister, who is held to be his twin in certain circles
0	Lunete A heroic character who appeared in the story the "Knight of the Lion"
0	Laudine The Lady of the Fountain and the woman whom Lunete served
0	Brangwain Isolde's loyal companion and maidservant
0	Avalon A mythical land in Arthurian legend and Arthur's resting place
0	Olwen A character who was said to have been the daughter of a giant