181 Paladin Names From Lore, Legend, and Modern MMOs

Rolling a new Paladin? Whether you are tanking in World of Warcraft, swearing an Oath in Dungeons & Dragons, or holding your party together in Final Fantasy, the name has to sound like it can hold a line.

The word is borrowed. Paladin comes from the Latin palatinus, an official attached to the Roman emperor’s palace, and it came to mean one of the Twelve Peers, the legendary knights of Charlemagne’s court ⁽¹⁾. Every name below is trying to live up to that.

There are 181 options here across three lists: male, female, and one-word titles built for modern MMOs. Where the U.S. Social Security Administration has a record for a name, we have added where it actually stands, because a fair number of these belong to real children now.

65 Handsome Male Paladin Names

These 65 male Paladin names run from Frankish and Gothic history to Warcraft lore, and a surprising number of them are still given to American boys every year.

1. Abelard : Frankish and faintly scholarly, with hard consonants suited to a charter rather than a battlefield. It sounds like a name signed at the bottom of a treaty. Federal birth records have never listed it, since the SSA only publishes a rank once five babies of one sex get a name in a single year, so nobody at your table will have met one.
2. Adalbert : Built from Old German roots meaning noble and bright. Put the two together and you have a job description for a high-born human Paladin. American parents used it briefly, peaking at #2,184 in 1915 and dropping out of the SSA file altogether after 1935. That century of silence is part of the appeal, because it arrives sounding like something recovered from an archive.
3. Aethelgard : Old English through and through. It belongs on a shield-wall commander holding a border fort, not a knight looking for glory farther afield. Three syllables is a lot to shout in combat, so expect the table to settle on Gard by the third session. The SSA has never published a rank for it, which is exactly why it reads as period rather than modern.
4. Agravain : One of the Knights of the Round Table, so it carries genuine Arthurian weight. His reputation in the stories is a little thorny, which gives a Paladin built on him some flaws to play. That points naturally at the Oath of Vengeance, one of the four sacred oaths a 2024 Player’s Handbook paladin picks from at 3rd level. No SSA ranking exists for it, so Arthurian baggage is the only kind it brings.
5. Alaric : Gothic for ruler of all, and no longer just a fantasy pick. SSA data puts it at #1,063 among US boys in 2025, up about 222 percent on the previous decade. It first entered the federal file in 1949 and reached its best rank, #822, in 2020. Three hard syllables with no soft landing, and it works as well on a character sheet as on a birth certificate.
6. Alistair : A polished, faintly aristocratic choice that fantasy RPGs keep handing to royal guards and templars. It sat at #897 in the SSA’s 2025 US boys’ ranking.
7. Arthas : The most loaded name in Warcraft. Whether that is the point or the problem depends on how your character’s story ends. Real parents started using it in 2009, and it still turned up in the 2025 SSA file at #6,841, so a handful of American children genuinely answer to it. Borrow it knowing every player will hear the fall before they hear the knight.
8. Balthazar : Biblical and three syllables long, it carries the weight of plate armor before you say a word about the character. It suits a dwarf or a broad-shouldered human equally well. It entered US records in 2001 and has stayed rare since, ranked #9,824 in 2025. Balthy is the inevitable table nickname, and it undercuts the grandeur in the best way.
9. Benedict : Means blessed, about as on-the-nose as a holy caster’s name gets. It still ranked #814 among US boys in 2025. Its American high point was #447, back in 1914, so the current number is a quiet revival rather than a debut. Ben covers you when the full form feels too formal for a tavern.
10. Bolvar : A nod to the highlord of Stormwind. The reference brings sacrifice and stubborn endurance in equal measure, which is most of a Paladin’s job description. SSA records have never charted it, so it stays firmly inside the game world. Two blunt syllables, easy to shout, and impossible to mistake for anyone else’s character.
11. Caelum : Latin for sky or heavens, tying your character straight to the power they draw on. SSA records show it reaching its best rank yet, #1,690, in 2025.
12. Cassian : Sharp and modern, and the fastest riser on this whole list. SSA figures put it at #479 among US boys in 2025, up about 1,902 percent measured over the last ten years of births against the ten before them. That 2025 rank is also its best on record, and it only entered the file in 1997. Pick it if you want a Paladin who reads contemporary rather than medieval.
13. Castiel : Angelic in origin and familiar from television. Both associations make it an easy fit for a Paladin with celestial parentage.
14. Charlemagne : The emperor whose Twelve Peers were the original paladins, the knights the word itself came to name. Wearing his name means arriving pre-loaded with command. Those peers first appear in the twelfth century poems of the Matter of France, filling the role the Round Table fills in Arthurian romance. American parents began using it in 1974, and it sat at #8,376 in 2025, rare enough that nobody will assume you chose it casually.
15. Conrad : Old German for brave counsel, a good match for the player who actually reads the map. It ranked #417 for US boys in 2025. The name has been in the federal file since records began in 1880 and peaked at #213 in 1931, so it has never really left. Steady, unshowy, and a little stubborn, which is the character too.
16. Darius : Persian royalty, and it lands with authority in a battle shout. Its US high point was #152 back in 1990, per SSA records. By 2025 it had eased to #788, still common enough that the name feels lived-in rather than invented. Dar works if you want something shorter for the heat of a fight.
17. Donar : A thunder name, blunt as a hammer strike. It reads about as loud as one too.
18. Draco : Draconic on purpose. Dragonborn Paladins reach for it specifically when they want their heritage said out loud rather than implied. It has been in US birth records since 1997 and reached #1,208 in 2021 before settling at #1,733 in 2025. The Potter association is unavoidable, so decide whether your knight is fighting it or enjoying it.
19. Dunstan : Means dark stone. It sounds like one too, low, steady, and hard to move. American records show it in exactly one year, 1976, and never again. That single blip is oddly fitting for a name built to sit still.
20. Eamon : Irish and protective in meaning. It carries enough warmth that your Paladin reads as approachable rather than austere.
21. Eldric : Blends old and ruler. Together they suggest a knight who has outlived most of the people who trained him. It surfaced in US records in 1972, reached #3,733 that same year, and last appeared in 2021 near the bottom of the file. Rare enough to feel invented, real enough to survive a skeptical dungeon master.
22. Evander : Greek for good man. It condenses the lawful good alignment into three syllables. It has been in the federal file since 1888 and reached its best rank ever, #698, in 2025. Its rank has never been higher than it is right now, which is an unusual thing to say about a name this old.
23. Galad : Close enough to Galahad to borrow his purity. It stays far enough off to still read as your own character, not a copy.
24. Gavinrad : A deep-cut Warcraft pick. It ties back to one of the early knights of the Silver Hand, the order that defined the class in that world. The SSA has never charted it, and nobody was going to register it. Use it when you want other players to ask where it came from.
25. Gideon : A biblical warrior name meaning hewer, built for a Paladin who leads with the sword arm. It ranked #337 for US boys in 2025, close to its best showing of #304 in 2017. It has been in the SSA file since 1880. That makes it the rare pick that sounds heroic without sounding costumed.
26. Godric : Reads as God’s power. Nobody at the table is left guessing where the smiting comes from. Real American use started in 2009, peaked at #2,937 in 2015, and has thinned since to #10,033 in 2025. The literalness is either the charm or the problem, depending on how subtle your character wants to be.
27. Gregor : Watchful by meaning, mountainous by sound. That pairing works well for a character built to stand at the front.
28. Hadrian : The emperor of walls, the Roman ruler remembered for building a barrier rather than an empire. That history fits a defensive build that would rather hold ground than chase it. American parents have used it since 1970, and 2025 was its strongest year yet at #2,617. Rising slowly, like the thing it is named for.
29. Humphrey : Means peaceful warrior, an odd pairing on paper. It fits a healer who draws steel only once the party is out of options. It was reasonably common a century ago, peaking at #1,578 in 1915, and had faded to the very bottom of the file by 2024. The old-fashioned weight is doing the work here, so do not fight it.
30. Ironheart : A dwarven surname sturdy enough to work as a given name. It tells other players exactly what to expect before the character says a word.
31. Justicar : A rank worn as a name. It announces your role before you have said a word in the tavern. No SSA rank has ever been published for it, which keeps it a title rather than a given name. That suits a character who introduced themselves by their office and never got around to the rest.
32. Kaelen : Gaelic and slender sounding. That lightness is why it sits so comfortably on elven Paladins.
33. Lancelot : The most famous knight in romance. Skill in a duel is half promised before the dice are even rolled. It has been an American birth name since 1908, peaked at #2,660 in 1984, and still turned up in the 2025 file at #7,034. The fame cuts both ways, since everyone knows the standard and everyone knows how he fell short of it.
34. Leoric : Kingly on the surface. Underneath, if you know your Diablo, it is haunted, and that tension is the fun of it. It only entered US records in 2017 and has sat at the very edge of the file since, last listed in 2024. A name that new in the real world still belongs mostly to the game.
35. Lightbringer : Technically a title rather than a first name. That is exactly why it works as a moniker for a holy warrior. SSA records show no rank for it at all, which is what keeps it sounding earned rather than assigned. Give it to a character other people started calling that, not one who chose it.
36. Lothar : The Lion of Azeroth. A last stand is built into the name before your character ever picks up a sword. It had a real American run too, entering the file in 1927, peaking at #2,695 in 1929, and disappearing after 1968. Two syllables that land like a closing door.
37. Lucian : Rooted in light and smooth on the tongue. It suits the party’s talker as much as its fighter. It has been in US records since 1880, and 2025 was its best year on the chart at #462. Old spelling, current usage, and no friction between the two.
38. Magnus : Latin for great. It is short enough to shout across a battlefield and heavy enough to earn it. American use goes back to 1890, and it sat at #765 in 2025, not far off its 2017 best of #719. There is no nickname, which is the point.
39. Maximilian : Grand, ornate, and slightly theatrical. It is right at home on a knight who enjoys the ceremony as much as the quest. It ranked #590 among US boys in 2025 after peaking at #429 in 2013. Max will happen within one session, and the contrast between the two is free characterization.
40. Mithrandir : Wizardly by association, thanks to Tolkien. The grey pilgrim idea behind it fits a wandering vindicator who never settles in one chapterhouse. The SSA has never given it a published rank, so it stays entirely inside the borrowed world it came from. Three syllables is a commitment, though, and the table will shorten it whether you approve or not.
41. Mordred : The darkest option in the Arthurian lineup. That makes it the obvious pick for an Oathbreaker with something to explain. If you would rather keep the oath intact, the Oath of Vengeance in the 2024 Player’s Handbook gets you the same edge without the fall. It has never appeared in the SSA’s published rankings, and the reason for that is not hard to work out.
42. Oric : Two syllables, almost all consonant. It sounds like metal meeting metal.
43. Orion : The hunter fixed in the winter sky, which suits a Paladin who goes looking for demons. It ranked #334 for US boys in 2025.
44. Percival : The knight of the Grail quest. A pilgrimage comes attached to the name before your character sets out on one. It has been in the SSA file since 1880 and, oddly, hit its best rank ever in 2025 at #1,536. Percy is waiting whenever the full version feels too solemn.
45. Ragnar : Norse and unsubtle. It suits a Paladin whose god keeps score in a body count.
46. Reinhard : Germanic for brave counsel. Gaming has firmly attached it to shield-carrying front-liners since.
47. Roderick : Means famous power, the kind that reads as a noble house rather than a self-made hero. It suits a Paladin who inherited a title along with a sword. American parents liked it far more in 1967, when it reached #221, than in 2025, when it sat at #1,752. That drift from common to uncommon helps if you want the character to feel like the last of a line.
48. Roland : Charlemagne’s own peer, remembered for his last stand. SSA records put its US peak at #98 in 1924; it was #608 in 2025. Those peers are where the word paladin comes from at all, which makes this about as literal a pick as the list offers. A century between its high point and its current rank leaves it familiar without being common.
49. Solaris : Sun and fire in a single word. It needs no epithet stacked on top to make its point. It has been an American birth name since 2003, reaching #7,590 in 2023 before easing to #11,800 in 2025. Rare, but real, which is a good place for a fantasy name to sit.
50. Stark : Means strong in both German and English. The bluntness is the whole appeal.
51. Sunwalker : The tauren answer to the Paladin class. It is a natural fit if your holy warrior draws power from the land rather than a temple.
52. Thaddeus : Old and warm, carrying senses of heart and courageous. It sounds like a teacher as much as a fighter. In US records since 1880, it peaked at #307 in 1918 and stood at #798 in 2025. Thad is the shortcut, and it makes the character sound like somebody’s friend rather than somebody’s judge.
53. Theodoric : A Gothic king’s name meaning ruler of the people. It reads formal enough for a grand master of an order. American use started in 1969 at its best rank, #3,568, and has barely registered since. Four syllables of ceremony, which is either exactly right or one syllable too many.
54. Thoros : Borrowed from a fire-wielding red priest. It suits a Paladin whose faith burns literally, not just figuratively.
55. Tirion : Warcraft’s redemption arc compressed into six letters. That history gives your character a lot to live up to. It reached US birth records only in 2017 and has appeared near the bottom of the file since, most recently in 2024. Short, clean, and unmistakably borrowed, which is fine if the borrowing is deliberate.
56. Torian : Heroic without being showy. It survives being shortened to Tor at the table without losing anything.
57. Tyrael : The archangel of justice. Few names send a stronger celestial signal in six letters.
58. Uther : The first knight of the Silver Hand. The name is practically the class itself in Warcraft lore. It has never appeared in the SSA’s published rankings, so nothing outside the game is competing for it. Two syllables, one hard consonant, and no way to shorten it, which suits a character who does not bend.
59. Valerius : Latin roots meaning strong and healthy. It reads as a character built to stay standing after everyone else has fallen.
60. Varian : A king’s name with a temper built in. It suits an aggressive build far better than a serene one. American parents used it most in 1977, when it hit #1,473, and it was down at #10,600 by 2025. That decline leaves it uncommon enough that the Warcraft echo arrives first.
61. Viggo : Scandinavian for war. It has bounced in and out of the SSA file since 1913, landing at its best rank yet, #1,697, in 2025.
62. Warwick : Means stronghold, and that is the entire job description for a protection build. Nothing about the name leaves room for interpretation.
63. Xavier : Carries senses of new house and bright, plus an initial that stands out on any roster. SSA data has it at #108 for US boys in 2025, down about 24 percent on the previous decade after peaking at #68 in 2007. It has been in US birth records since 1886, so it arrives sounding like a person rather than a character. That familiarity is the whole argument for it, a Paladin who does not announce the genre.
64. Yrel : A draenei vindicator’s name, short and clean. Zeal is built into the lore behind it.
65. Zadkiel : An archangel associated with freedom and mercy. That fits a Paladin who spares more often than he smites.

62 Beautiful Female Paladin Names

These 62 female Paladin names blend elegance with steel, from angelic guardians to battle-maidens with a body count. Six of them still sit inside the SSA top 100 for US girls: Eleanor, Grace, Victoria, Maeve, Lucia, and Amara.

1. Adara : Hebrew for noble. It lands softly for a name carrying that much rank behind it. It reached its best US rank on record in 2025 at #1,004, having first appeared in the file in 1979. A gentle sound on a character who outranks everyone in the room is a useful contradiction.
2. Aeliana : A Latin name tied to the sun. It fits a warrior who prefers to fight by daylight rather than skulk after dark.
3. Aethelflaed : An Anglo-Saxon name worn by a real warrior queen, the Lady of the Mercians. It comes with an actual track record, not just a myth. It has never appeared in the SSA’s published rankings, so the spelling will need explaining every single time. Some players enjoy that, and a knight whose name nobody can pronounce is its own kind of character note.
4. Alura : Reads as godly counselor. It suits a Paladin who put her points into wisdom rather than raw strength.
5. Amara : Carries senses of eternal and grace. It crossed into the SSA’s US top 100 for the first time in 2025, landing at #98. That is also its best rank since it entered the file in 1961. A name still climbing suits a Paladin near the start of her story.
6. Andromeda : A constellation name meaning ruler of men. It runs long enough to need a nickname and grand enough to deserve one. American use dates to 1962, with its strongest showing at #2,049 in 2022 and #2,327 in 2025. Andi or Meda, depending on whether you want her approachable or remote.
7. Artemis : The goddess of the hunt. The association points a Paladin toward the wild rather than the cathedral.
8. Astrid : Norse for divinely beautiful, a favorite for warrior women long before fantasy claimed it. The SSA put it at #376 among US girls in 2025. That is its best rank in more than a century of American records, which began carrying it in 1892. The hard consonants keep the meaning from turning soft.
9. Athena : War and wisdom folded into the same goddess, the tactical Paladin summed up in one word. SSA records show it at #109 among US girls in 2025, just off its best rank of #76 in 2023. It has been in US records since 1902, so the recent surge is a return rather than a debut. Nothing about it needs explaining at the table, which saves a session-one conversation.
10. Aveline : A guardian name. Gaming handed it to one of its better-known shield carriers, and the fit stuck.
11. Beatrix : Carries senses of voyager and blessed. The Final Fantasy warrior who wore it sharpened both. American parents have used it since 1883, and it reached #984 in 2019 before settling at #1,360 in 2025. The x on the end is what makes it read armored rather than pastoral.
12. Bellona : The Roman goddess of war. It suits a crusader built to deal damage rather than soak it. The SSA has never published a rank for it, so it belongs entirely to the myth and to you. Three syllables that open soft and close hard, which is roughly how the character fights.
13. Brienne : Loyalty and knightly virtue with none of the frills attached. It still turns up in the SSA’s 2025 file, a real name and not just a character’s. Its strongest American showing was #1,113, and that came in 1979, only two years after it entered the file. Everything since has been quieter, which leaves the character room to define it.
14. Brigid : An Irish goddess of fire and poetry. The combination works for a Paladin with both a temper and a tongue.
15. Camilla : The legendary warrior maiden of the Aeneid. It has been in American records since 1880 and ranked #361 in 2025, close to its 2020 best of #263. Cam or Milla, and the two suggest quite different characters.
16. Cassandra : A prophetess name that sounds defensive rather than delicate. Its US peak was #49 in 1990, per SSA records. By 2025 it had come down to #631, which is the difference between a name everyone had and a name people notice again. Cass keeps the edge that the full four syllables soften.
17. Celestia : Literally heavenly. It describes the power source and the personality at once.
18. Clare : Means bright and clear. The single syllable does a lot of quiet work on its own.
19. Cordelia : Possibly daughter of the sea, possibly heart, and unresolved either way. Both readings suit a name that carries some mystery.
20. Daina : A Latvian song goddess. It reads as a close cousin of Diana for anyone who wants the sound without the myth attached.
21. Demeter : An earth goddess name. It is solid underfoot and impossible to hurry. American birth records list it in exactly one year, 2020, and nowhere else. That is about as close to unused as a real name gets.
22. Eleanor : Eleanor of Aquitaine went on crusade and gave this one its steel. It is now the highest ranked name on the list: #12 among US girls in 2025 with 7,649 births, its best showing on record ⁽²⁾. It has been in the federal file since 1880 and has never ranked higher than it does right now. Ellie or Nell if the full form feels too stately for the character.
23. Elspeth : A Scottish form of Elizabeth meaning chosen by God. That is a Paladin’s origin story told in three words. It has been in US records since 1914 and peaked at #2,438 in 1984, sitting at #7,600 in 2025. Rare, then, but not invented, which is the sweet spot for a tabletop name.
24. Eowyn : The shieldmaiden of Rohan. She remains the cleanest template for a female knight in fantasy. American parents began using it in 1973, and 2025 was its strongest year yet at #1,471. The name is doing what the character did, arriving late and outperforming expectations.
25. Evangeline : Means bearer of good news. It fits a Paladin who arrives before the reinforcements do. It has been in the SSA file since 1881 and reached its best rank ever, #147, in 2025. Eva and Evie are both sitting right there, which makes it flexible across a long campaign.
26. Fiora : A duelist’s name, quick and pointed. It comes borrowed straight from the arena.
27. Freya : Love and war in one Norse goddess. Command of the Valkyries comes attached to the name. It ranked #176 among US girls in 2025, a little off its 2022 best of #129. The Valkyries answer to it, and so does everyone who hears it, no nickname required.
28. Gabriella : The feminine form of the archangel’s name. It puts a messenger of heaven directly in your party.
29. Genevieve : The patron saint of Paris, remembered for protecting the city in a crisis. That is a tank’s résumé written in older language. It ranked #148 in 2025, and its American high point was #76 back in 1914. Genny, Vivi, or Eve, so the character can go by something different in each city she defends.
30. Gwen : Welsh for white or holy. It peaked at #295 in 1959 and has settled to #725 in 2025, still short and easy to say.
31. Hildegard : Germanic for battle enclosure. That is very nearly a shield wall spelled out letter by letter.
32. Hope : A virtue name that needs no explanation. It also survives being shouted across a battlefield, which not every name does.
33. Iliana : Greek for bright. It softens a character who is otherwise all armor.
34. Isolde : Tied to tragic knights and doomed love. It suits a Paladin carrying something unresolved from her past.
35. Jeanne : Jeanne d’Arc set the standard for the holy warrior centuries ago. The French spelling here keeps that connection obvious. American parents used it heavily in the mid twentieth century, when it reached #83 in 1946, and rarely since, at #4,601 in 2025. That fall is useful, since the name now reads historical rather than contemporary.
36. Joan : The English form of the same name. It reads plain and unmistakable, no translation needed.
37. Judith : The biblical figure who saved her people by acting first and explaining later. It was the fourth most popular US girls’ name in 1940 and had fallen to #790 by 2025, per SSA records. A drop of that size across 85 years leaves it sounding like a grandmother and a general at once. Jude works if you want it shorter, though the full form carries the story better.
38. Justina : Latin for fair or just, and that pairing is the class’s entire ethical framework in two words. American records have carried it since 1882, with its best rank, #526, in 1988. It sat at #4,030 in 2025, uncommon enough to feel chosen.
39. Katarina : Pure by meaning, sharp by sound, and it suggests a flurry of blades either way.
40. Leona : Means lioness, and gaming has already proved it works on a front-line defender. It was a genuinely popular American name once, reaching #74 in 1913. At #429 in 2025 it is back in circulation without being everywhere.
41. Liadrin : The matriarch of the Blood Knights, a name for a Paladin who came back from something.
42. Lucia : The feminine form of Lucius, meaning light. SSA records show it reaching its best rank in 146 years of data, #83, in 2025.
43. Lux : The Latin word for light, three letters, all of them working. It only entered US birth records in 2001 and reached #1,689 in 2014. By 2025 it had eased to #2,918, still rare enough to turn a head at the table.
44. Maeve : An Irish warrior queen whose name reads as she who intoxicates. It ranked #76 among US girls in 2025 with 3,153 births, up about 299 percent on the previous decade. Its best rank came two years earlier, at #73 in 2023, so it is holding near the top of its range. A warrior queen’s rank to match the reputation, no nickname needed.
45. Marcella : A feminine turn on Marcus, meaning warlike, with more polish than the root.
46. Matilda : Means battle-mighty and was worn by an empress. It is also the biggest comeback on this list: after bottoming out in 1993, its 2025 birth rate runs about 37 times that trough, per SSA data. Its old American peak was #230 in 1913, and it stood at #365 in 2025. Tilly and Mattie are both available, and neither sounds like it could hold a line.
47. Mercy : For the Paladin who reaches for the healing spell before the smite.
48. Minerva : Athena’s Roman counterpart, which shifts the emphasis from courage to strategy. It has been in the federal file since 1880 and peaked at #409 in 1913. Minnie is the obvious short form, and it undersells her completely.
49. Morgana : Magic with a shadow on it, useful for a Paladin whose oath has frayed at the edges.
50. Octavia : Roman and orderly, suiting a character who genuinely believes in the chain of command.
51. Ophelia : Greek for help, and support characters rarely get a prettier label. It ranked #264 among US girls in 2025, just behind its best mark of #259 the year before. A name climbing that steadily suits a healer nobody has noticed yet.
52. Orla : Irish for golden princess, compact enough to survive a battle cry.
53. Rhiannon : A Welsh horse goddess, so the name practically comes with a mount.
54. Sabrina : A Celtic river goddess with an edge on the first syllable. It peaked at #53 in the SSA’s US rankings in 1997. It was still at #321 in 2025, so it never really went away. The witch association is strong enough that a Paladin wearing it needs a reason, which is a good prompt for a backstory.
55. Sephora : Hebrew for bird, which reads as swift rather than fragile.
56. Seraphina : Drawn from the seraphim, the highest order of angels, and it sounds every bit of it.
57. Sigrid : Norse for beautiful victory, two ideas most names cannot hold at once.
58. Silvia : Means of the forest, for the Green Knight look.
59. Titania : The queen of the fairies, commanding without ever raising her voice.
60. Ursula : Means little bear, which undersells the strength considerably.
61. Valeria : Strength and valor from the same root, with none of the harshness.
62. Victoria : The Latin word for victory, still inside the SSA’s US top 100 at #54 in 2025 after peaking at #16 in 1998. It has been in American records since 1880 without a real gap. Tori for the field, Victoria for the throne room.

54 Cool Paladin Names

Sometimes you want a gamertag rather than a birth certificate. These 54 titles, virtues, and holy nouns are built for modern MMOs, and several of them turn up in the federal birth records anyway.

1. Aegis : Zeus’s shield borrowed as a name, promising a defense that nothing gets through.
2. Argent : The heraldic word for silver, a color tied to purity and the moon.
3. Ashbringer : Named for the blade that turns the undead to ash, and it does not pretend to be subtle.
4. Aura : A nod to the passive buffs a Paladin hands the whole party without saying a word. It is also a real and rising American name, at #817 in 2025, its best rank since first appearing in 1881. Short, soft, and slightly uncanny, which fits a character whose presence does half the work.
5. Avenger : For the character still settling a debt somebody else opened.
6. Bastion : A walking fortress. Holding the line is the whole job under that name. Real American use started in 2002 and reached #3,431 in 2019, easing to #5,640 in 2025.
7. Beacon : Straight from Beacon of Light, the healing mechanic that keeps a party upright.
8. Blade : Short, edged, and honest about what your character does for a living. It stood at #3,454 in the 2025 SSA file, having peaked at #1,167 back in 1996. Somebody out there is still naming children after the sharp end.
9. Canon : Religious law rather than a weapon, which suits a strictly lawful good build.
10. Citadel : The name says you are a castle that walks.
11. Conqueror : For a Paladin whose order is expanding, whether the neighbors care for it or not.
12. Covenant : The sacred agreement at the center of every oath a Paladin swears.
13. Crusader : The oldest title for a holy warrior on campaign, and still the plainest.
14. Dawn : The first light of the day, and a name with real history behind it: SSA records put it at #14 among US girls in 1971, and #2,174 in 2025. That is a fall of more than two thousand places inside a single lifetime. It makes a good fit for a knight who remembers a better age.
15. Divine : A one-word statement about where the power comes from.
16. Divinity : The same idea at one step’s remove, softer in the mouth.
17. Eclipse : For a Paladin holding light and dark in the same hand.
18. Exalt : To raise in rank, which reads as ambition rather than humility.
19. Faith : The virtue the whole class runs on, stated without ornament. It reached #48 among US girls in 2002 and was still at #254 in 2025. One syllable that nobody has to interpret.
20. Glory : What the warrior is chasing, said out loud.
21. Grace : Divine help given freely, and a lovely fit for a healer. It ranked #38 among US girls in 2025, per SSA data.
22. Guardian : The protector of anyone who cannot protect themselves.
23. Halo : The ring of light that marks the holy, and it fits a character who never explains themselves.
24. Hammer : The class’s signature weapon used as a name, with no apology offered.
25. Haven : A safe place, which is what a good protector actually provides. It hit its best US rank ever in 2025 at #190, having first been recorded in 1920. A name on the way up suits a character still building the thing she protects.
26. Honor : The code, worn as the name. It has appeared in US records since 1888 and reached #1,607 in 2013. At #2,390 in 2025 it remains rare enough to sound deliberate rather than pious.
27. Hymn : A sung prayer, which suits a bard and Paladin multiclass better than anything else here.
28. Immortal : For the character who simply refuses to fall.
29. Judge : For the Paladin who decides how the story ends for somebody else. It was a real American given name a century ago, ranked #769 in 1913, and had thinned to #2,660 by 2025. A title that has gone out of fashion in every sense, which is half the appeal.
30. Justice : The abstraction given armor and a horse.
31. Keeper : Someone charged with guarding an old temple or an older secret.
32. Lawbringer : A classic Warcraft armor set that reads perfectly well as a title.
33. Legacy : What is left behind once the quest is finished. It is a modern name in every sense, first recorded in 1994, best ranked at #434 in 2021, and at #662 in 2025. Nobody will hear it as archaic, and that is either the point or the problem.
34. Liberator : For the Paladin whose oath points at chains rather than monsters.
35. Lumen : The Latin unit of light, which gives a very old idea a modern edge. American use began in 2011 and peaked at #3,634 in 2015. It was down at #6,461 in 2025, still rare enough to feel technical rather than devotional.
36. Marshal : A high military rank, and it puts your character in charge before the session even starts. It has been in the federal file since 1880 and did best in 1922 at #900, sitting at #3,421 in 2025. Uncommon without being strange, which is a hard balance for a title-name to strike.
37. Noble : Describes birth and behavior at once, a useful ambiguity for a character who could be either.
38. Oathkeeper : Points straight at the sacred oath that is the hinge of the entire class.
39. Oracle : Someone with a direct line to the gods. It is also the rarest charted name here: SSA data puts it at #16,653 among US girls in 2025, roughly one birth in 333,333.
40. Paragon : A person held up as the standard, which is a lot to carry.
41. Phoenix : Fire and resurrection folded into one word. It renders a Paladin’s second wind as a bird. It is also a well-used American name now, ranked #329 in 2025 after peaking at #236 in 2020.
42. Radiance : Blinding light, and the word most holy damage gets described with. A few American parents have used it since 1982, peaking at #3,555 in 1988. It was near the bottom of the 2025 file at #11,691, so the character will be the only one.
43. Redemption : Being pulled back from the wrong side, which is the best arc the class offers.
44. Sanctuary : A place nothing hostile may enter, offered as a name.
45. Seraph : Short for seraphim, the angels associated with fire.
46. Shield : The tool the class is built around, with nothing added.
47. Solstice : The turn of the year’s light, high or low depending which one you mean.
48. Templar : A historical order of knights that fantasy has never stopped borrowing from.
49. Titan : Size and strength ahead of every other quality.
50. Trinity : Tank, healer, and damage in one word. It is also the steepest faller on this list, down about 60 percent on the previous decade and sitting at #428 among US girls in 2025 after peaking at #48 in 2004.
51. Vanguard : The troops who reach the enemy first. It reads as a role as much as a name. It has never appeared in the SSA’s published rankings, so nothing about it will sound domestic.
52. Vigil : The night spent awake in prayer instead of asleep.
53. Warden : A keeper of one specific stretch of ground, and answerable for it. It has been an American given name since 1914 and did best in 1935 at #2,025. By 2025 it had fallen to #7,649, which leaves it sounding like a post rather than a person.
54. Zealot : Uncompromising in pursuit of a religious ideal, for better and for worse.