Paladin
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval chanson de geste cycle of the Matter of France, where they play a similar role to the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian romance.
Meaning & Origin of Paladin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval chanson de geste cycle of the Matter of France, where they play a similar role to the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian romance.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Paladin
Paladin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1958, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 11 Paladins were born — ranking #7,008 that year. As of 2026, Paladin ranks #12,230 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 41 Paladins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Paladin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Paladin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Pallidum
- Palatine
- Paladins
- Piloting
- Peleton
- Pelleting
- Saladin
- Balaton
- Balloting
- Peloton
- Paletta
- Palata
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Paladin
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About the name Paladin
Paladin is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 41 births in the dataset. Paladin's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #7,008. Use the chart and map above to compare Paladin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2011 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- 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.