Hi All... I believe the name originated in France in the 11th century, with the notation of one HUGH DE PAYAN, one of the originators of the CATHOLIC TEMPLAR KNIGHTS...if not the First knight In order to have funds for such a venture he would have had to come from a NOBLE family of means to begin with... To quote ASHMOLE; About the year 1118 this order took beginning, when nine gentle men urged by zealous devotion passed the seas top the holy land, the chief of which were Hugo de PAGANES and Godfrey de SAINT OMER, two knights of noble extraction,the other seven knights not being known. Suggest you read the early history of the TEMPLARS... Chev. Edward Rach KTJ, Knight Templar of Jeruselem