The Knights Templar were formed in 1119 by Hugues de Payens, says History UK, with the goal of protecting European pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem from attacks by embittered opposing warriors. There were just nine knights at first, but the order rapidly grew in power and influence. In fact, in 1128, Pope Honorius II officially deemed them an army of God through special papal ruling. Their beginnings, however, remained very humble.

“They initially called themselves the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ,” History UK reports, “and they swore the vows of monkhood as well as knighthood … swearing chastity, faith, obedience, discipline and poverty.” Though they originally numbered less than a dozen, King Baldwin II rewarded them for their service and faith with a home base: a section of the hallowed Temple of Solomon itself (or the mosque that stood on its site at the time).

In honor of their lofty new digs, the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ underwent a name change, to “the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple,” or the even longer “The Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon.” This being a bit of a mouthful, a shorter, catchier title arose: the Knights Templar.

The knights’ fame, wealth and influence grew exponentially, as believers sponsored and-or joined their cause. Though Muslim forces would later recapture Jerusalem and the Templars’ importance would fade, they never forgot their humble origins, reflected in their name.