Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac, alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in the Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table, as well as a secret lover of King Arthur's wife, Guinevere.
Meaning & Origin of Lancelot
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lancelot du Lac, alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in the Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table, as well as a secret lover of King Arthur's wife, Guinevere.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Lancelot
Lancelot first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1908, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 18 Lancelots were born — ranking #2,614 that year. As of 2026, Lancelot ranks #9,864 for baby boys with 7 births, rising sharply (+31% over the past five years). In total, more than 625 Lancelots have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Lancelot
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lancelot is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Launcelot
- Lancelet
- Liselotte
- Lieselotte
- Landslide
- Lancet
- Lazulite
- Lanset
- Flannelette
- Landaulet
- Lancelets
- Insulate
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lancelot
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About the name Lancelot
Lancelot is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1908 and has accumulated 625 births in the dataset. Lancelot's peak popularity came in 1984 when it ranked #2,614. Use the chart and map above to compare Lancelot's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1984 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.