NameChart

Tristan

Boy name

Tristan has been given to 130,794 babies in the U.S. since 1946. It peaked in 1996 and currently ranks #309 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈtɹɪstən/

Old French, the name of a knight, lover of Iseult in medieval romance Tristan and Iseult, from Celtic Drystan derived from drest meaning "riot" or "tumult".

Origin: Celtic languages

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

01.415k2.83k4.244k5.659k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

130,794

Peak year

1996 (5,844 babies)

Rank in 2025

#309 for boys

First recorded

1946

10-year trend

▼ -72%

Gender split

5% girls / 95% boys

Famous people named Tristan

Tristan Tzara

Romanian-French poet (1896–1963)

Tristan Bernard

French playwright (1866–1947)

Tristan Corbière

French poet

Tristan Thompson

Canadian basketball player (born 1991)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Tristan.

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