 According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, "Gawain" measures between 17.28 and 20.77 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.06 and 0.073.The "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" agrees with the results obtained by IRAS, and derives an albedo of 0.0444 and a diameter of 19.95 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.5.This minor planet was named after the figure Gawain, King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend.