# Gavin

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈɡævɪn/ · frequency rank #10,551

## Definitions
1. A male given name from the Celtic languages.
2. A surname originating as a patronymic.

## Etymology
Medieval variant of Gawain, the name of an Arthurian knight, first recorded as Old French Gauvain. The form Gavin survived in Scotland and spread to other English-speaking countries in the 1960s. Doublet of Gawain.

## Easily confused with
- **gin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-gin)
- **goin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-goin)
- **grin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-grin)
- **given** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-given)
- **grain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-grain)
- **groin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-groin)
- **Govan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-govan)
- **giving** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-giving)
- **gazing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-gazing)
- **Gawain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gavin-vs-gawain)
- **gan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gan-vs-gavin)
- **gave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gave-vs-gavin)
- **gain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gain-vs-gavin)
- **Gail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gail-vs-gavin)
- **gait** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gait-vs-gavin)
- **Gaia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gaia-vs-gavin)
- **gabi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gabi-vs-gavin)
- **Gaon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gaon-vs-gavin)
- **gains** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gains-vs-gavin)
- **Galen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/galen-vs-gavin)

## Common misspellings (7)
`agvin`, `gaivn`, `gavinn`, `gavni`, `gavvin`, `ggavin`, `gvain`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gavin