Lancelot
A boy's name of Old French origin with 625 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
One of the Knights of the Round Table, a lover of Guinevere.
Lancelot is a boy's baby name of Old French origin, from the medieval French Lancelot, possibly meaning 'little lance' (from lance) or derived from the Germanic name Lanzo (meaning 'land'). Sir Lancelot du Lac was the greatest knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend — brave, skilled, and tragically flawed through his love for Guinevere.
Chivalric and literary, Lancelot is a name for parents who love the romance of Arthurian legend — the greatest knight who ever lived, if not the most virtuous.
EtymologyShow more
Phonetically, Lancelot belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their sharp, distinct ending — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close. At three syllables, it has a three-beat flow that carries a sense of formality and completeness.
Within the Old French naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Old French names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Lancelot’s linguistic neighborhood.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Lancelot was #5666 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #10452, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 32 | #11460 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 83 | #9682 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 115 | #6784 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 114 | #5400 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 110 | #4289 | ▲ |
| 1970s | 52 | #4558 | ▲ |
| 1960s | 37 | #3843 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 23 | #3851 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 16 | #3800 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 6 | #3596 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 16 | #4478 | — |
| 1910s | 16 | #4111 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 5 | #1507 | — |
The Story of Lancelot
A Millennial name
Peaking in 1984, Lancelot is a Millennial-era classic. Boys named Lancelot are most likely born between 1974 and 1994.
How rare is Lancelot?
Only about 1 in every 514,286 babies born in 2024 was named Lancelot — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1908, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 2000s with 115 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Lancelot by the numbers
- Would fill 13 school buses
- Meeting one Lancelot per day would take 1.7 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(73 years, 1908–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | #10452 |
| 2023 | 9 | #8634 |
| 2022 | 6 | #11695 |
| 2021 | 5 | #13266 |
| 2020 | 5 | #13252 |
| 2019 | 6 | #11574 |
| 2018 | 6 | #11578 |
| 2017 | 6 | #11590 |
| 2016 | 10 | #7916 |
| 2015 | 11 | #7346 |
| 2014 | 5 | #13227 |
| 2013 | 7 | #10283 |
| 2012 | 9 | #8580 |
| 2011 | 9 | #8491 |
| 2010 | 14 | #6237 |
| 2009 | 8 | #9519 |
| 2008 | 10 | #8052 |
| 2007 | 11 | #7398 |
| 2006 | 16 | #5442 |
| 2005 | 12 | #6460 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lancelot a boy's or girl's name?
When was Lancelot most popular?
How popular is the name Lancelot?
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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1908–2024