Speaking very broadly, in modern fantasy a "paladin" is a magical knight (often a holy knight).

In terms of Ultima specifically, a fan-wiki has a fairly extensive article on the subject, including variation between games:
https://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Paladin

In terms of origin, I think that the word means something like "knightly hero", and was applied to the knights of Charlemagne.

A good class for those just starting out, particularly new players, but not the best choice in the long run.

(If you require the ability to use a bow, then in the long run Lark/Druid is actually better (but note that Druids can't use bows in the game that has larks).)

Also, paladins are quite the honorable sort, so if you are given a virtue questionaire at the start, and you want to be a paladin, you need to choose the honorable option at every opportunity.

Unfortunately, even the Avatar doesn't quite understand until Ultima 9, when a helpful blacksmith answers the question for him.

The Avatar, who perhaps even started as a Paladin? (As I said, the Paladin is a good choice for new players, and would probably make the most sense for the Avatar's canonical pre-Avatarhood class.)

Indeed, and whose greatest companions included a paladin. Ultima 9 is just special that way.

Another thought might be that knowledge of the way of the paladin was lost by Ultima 5, when the list of classes was reduced to just 4, with 1 of them being reserved for the Avatar.

(I can still say that Ultima 3's class system is the best and most balanced of the series.)

your knowledge of the land shall be great.

does anyone know where the idea specifically of paladins having healing magic originated?

I think it's related to the following:
* In early Dungeons & Dragons, Clerics were introduced, and they were the class that got healing magic. Hence, religion is now associated with healing magic.
* According to Wikipedia, the historical (not sure if actual history or historical myth) paladins were representing Christianity, and where therefore representing religion, essentially being holy warriors.
* So, we have paladins, knights that are associated with religion. With religion being associated with healing magic, it makes sense for paladins to get healing magic. (Although, I note that they don't actually get healing magic until higher levels, unlike Ultima 3/4 paladins who start with healing magic (assuming minimum 20 Wisdom for Ultime 3).)

Worth noting that Ultima 4 actually went away from the connection between religion and healing magic. While there's still a paladin, you might notice that there's no cleric, and there isn't really religion in the usual sense (although you do have the virtues, and one of them is Spirituality).

Ultima 7 does bring in a religion, though if you've played the game, it quickly becomes apparent that it's a rather nasty cult, and it apparently is based on a real life cult.

(Personally, the association between religion and healing magic doesn't make sense to me, but that's how it's been in the genre since D&D.)

The way of the Paladin was probably lost after the Avatar destroyed Pagan before taking off.

Has to do with the "real" practice of laying on hands, which lent the name to the paladin ability in Dungeons and Dragons.

Creating a topic like this and not even linking to one of the greatest things on YouTube for the more clueless individuals among us. Tssk tssk. :P
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpaNqz1vDmSixriNnNTD3FKXJ5D_y9wKS

Baldur's Gate has a pretty long-winded definintion.
"A paladin is a warrior bold and pure. the exemplar of everything good and true. Like the fighter, the paladin is a man of combat. However, the paladin lives for the ideals of righteousness, justice, honesty, piety, and chivalry. He strives to be a living example of these virtures so that others might learn from him as well as gain by his actions."

Much as An Avatar! set example not by word but by action!

Probably why EA "games" challenge nothing thought the "Avatar" was an absent-minded knock-off to Flash Gordon, who "forgot his sword often" and "lost" his backpack alot with Samhayne and was referred rather patronizingly as "babe" by his mistress! and was "a littie embarassed" An Island was named after him. EA didn't know what a Paladin was nor an Avatar! those, "Old Navy" clothing store buffs had the wide'eyed youthful glee of $$$ in thier wake! The greenmoss of capitol was the timber in their eye was so big they often got stuck on themselves! happens also to five-year olds at christmas time before opening thie presents under the tree!
how sad.

Actually, the Paladin class disappeared after Ultima 4; it's nowhere to be seen in Ultima 5, which has only 4 classes, 1 of which is reserved for the main character.

That description implies that a paladin is a man, except that Ultima 3 and 4 allow you to create a female paladin.

Well, except the NES version of Ultima 4, in which your gender is determined by your class, and paladins are male because Dupre is. (Then again, at least in the English version, the game always uses male pronouns for the player and party members, even if the character is clearly female. Also, why'd they replace Julia with a man in this version?)

But in NES Ultima 3, where classes are *also* gender-locked, Paladins are always female. Go figure.

get off your gender bends!
I was punning-just the long-winded BG explaimantion, which pretty much defines people who take this more seriously than it needs to be. :p. I, like anyone who actually KNOWS who Noah Antwiler is. aka "Spoony"! is making fun of Ultima IX! The OP wasn't posting because he wanted a serious answer. The "avatar" from Ultima IX was a sellout to Ultima.-didn't even know his own class(should the player choose to play as one)... FYI. it's' just a rhetorical question. most of us here already know the answer.