Yvain

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Origin: Welsh

Meaning: the name has been associated as another form of Owen, a Welsh masculine name either derived from Welsh eoghunn meaning "youth", or a Welsh form of Eugene, a Greek name meaning "well born" from Greek elements eu (good) and genes (born).

In Arthurian legend, Yvain is one of the Knights of the Round Table, the son of King Urien and Morgan le Fay. In Yvain, Knight of the Lion he is depicted as seeking revenge for the death of his cousin by the hands of the knight Esclados. Yvain kills him but falls in love with his widow, Laudine. With the help of her maid Lunete, he manages to make her fall in love with him and they get married, but is later convinced by Gawain to embark on an adventure. Laudine agrees to let him go but only if he returns within the year, which he fails to do, so Laudine rejects him yet again, though he eventually manages to win her back again.


Variants:

• Ywain 
• Owain
• Owen 
• Eugene 

Feminine forms:

• Yvaine