Quick answer
Gareth is a boy name meaning "valour; hay lord".
Pronunciation: British English /ˈɡæɹ.əθ/.
Meaning and history
Meaning uncertain. It appears in this form in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends Le Morte d'Arthur, in which the knight Gareth (also named Beaumains ) is a brother of Gawain. He goes with Lynet to rescue her sister Lyonesse from the Red Knight. Malory based the name on Gaheriet or Guerrehet, which was the name of a similar character in French sources. It may ultimately have a Welsh origin, possibly from the name Gwrhyd meaning "valour" (found in the tale Culhwch and Olwen ) or Gwairydd meaning "hay lord" (found in the chronicle Brut y Brenhinedd ).
Notes and context
Usage: welsh, english, arthurian cycle