Originating from English heraldry, the name Knightly is derived from the Middle English word 'knightli', which itself comes from 'knight'. It signifies a relation to a knight or knighthood, reflecting a proud history and heritage. Knightly was traditionally used as a surname but has been increasingly adopted as a given name in recent times.
Knightly is a rare and fluctuating name choice, with periods of higher popularity between 2015 and 2017, but overall showing no consistent trend over the eight years from 2012 to 2022, with a total of 56 births.