NameRealm
Tristan

Tristan: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“tumult; outcry”
Origin
Celtic
Say it
TRISS-tən · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys (95% of all uses)

Probably from a Pictish or Celtic name, though later associated with French triste 'sad' in medieval romance. Best known from the legend of Tristan and Isolde.

French namesWelsh namesEnglish namesClassic namesLiterary namesMythological names

How popular is Tristan?

2024393 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Tristan in 20241,308

2024 rank#267 boys

Peak year1996

Total US babies since 1880129,641

Tristan is fading: recent use is about 41% of its level ten years before.

Names like Tristan

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Tristenriot; tumult · Celtic
  • Tristiansorrowful · Celtic
  • Tristontumult, outcry · Celtic
  • Tristinpossibly noise or sorrowful · Celtic
  • GaelGaelic person · Celtic
  • Arthurmeaning uncertain · Celtic
  • Alanuncertain; possibly little rock or handsome · Celtic
  • Bryanhigh, noble · Celtic

Tristan questions

What does the name Tristan mean?

Tristan means "tumult; outcry". It comes from Celtic. Probably from a Pictish or Celtic name, though later associated with French triste 'sad' in medieval romance. Best known from the legend of Tristan and Isolde.

Is Tristan a boy or girl name?

Tristan is mainly a boy's name in US records (95% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Tristan?

1,308 US babies were named Tristan in 2024. Its peak year was 1996.

How do you pronounce Tristan?

Tristan is usually pronounced TRISS-tən.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.