Tristan
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".
Every Tristan since 1946 — 130,794 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Tristan
Tristan is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #309 in 2025 with 1,103 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1946, 130,794 American babies have been named Tristan — about 95% boys and 5% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1996, when 5,844 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Tristan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Tristan year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | #5,706 | 1,103 | #309 |
| 2024 | 12 | #8,903 | 1,302 | #267 |
| 2023 | 26 | #5,114 | 1,382 | #253 |
| 2022 | 25 | #5,293 | 1,600 | #226 |
| 2021 | 35 | #4,163 | 1,825 | #208 |
| 2020 | 40 | #3,734 | 2,124 | #182 |
| 2019 | 27 | #5,030 | 2,573 | #151 |
| 2018 | 39 | #3,842 | 3,230 | #123 |
| 2017 | 50 | #3,242 | 3,309 | #121 |
| 2016 | 71 | #2,536 | 3,639 | #108 |
| 2015 | 80 | #2,339 | 3,927 | #101 |
| 2014 | 61 | #2,841 | 3,927 | #98 |
| 2013 | 76 | #2,405 | 4,016 | #96 |
| 2012 | 87 | #2,188 | 4,441 | #88 |
| 2011 | 108 | #1,871 | 4,732 | #87 |
| 2010 | 99 | #2,027 | 4,899 | #84 |
| 2009 | 144 | #1,571 | 5,350 | #80 |
| 2008 | 157 | #1,493 | 5,659 | #81 |
| 2007 | 194 | #1,273 | 5,340 | #87 |
| 2006 | 194 | #1,249 | 5,414 | #86 |
| 2005 | 186 | #1,226 | 3,591 | #113 |
| 2004 | 209 | #1,098 | 3,481 | #115 |
| 2003 | 228 | #1,017 | 3,634 | #112 |
| 2002 | 263 | #872 | 3,725 | #103 |
| 2001 | 197 | #1,083 | 3,575 | #108 |
| 2000 | 206 | #1,027 | 3,531 | #105 |
| 1995 | 284 | #721 | 3,088 | #121 |
| 1990 | 140 | #1,212 | 753 | #330 |
| 1985 | 178 | #897 | 1,061 | #222 |
| 1980 | 42 | #2,339 | 208 | #604 |
| 1975 | 38 | #2,228 | 113 | #782 |
| 1970 | 21 | #3,198 | 63 | #1,030 |
| 1965 | 12 | #3,940 | 22 | #1,719 |
| 1960 | — | — | 10 | #2,858 |
| 1955 | — | — | 9 | #2,954 |
| 1950 | — | — | 7 | #3,303 |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Tristan
- Tristan Tzara Writer · 1896–1963
- Tristan Politician · 535–585
- Tristan Corbière Writer · 1845–1875
- Tristan Bernard Writer · 1866–1947
- Tristan Murail Composer · b. 1947
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Tristan mean?
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".
How popular is the name Tristan in 2025?
Tristan ranked #309 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,103 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Tristan?
130,794 babies have been named Tristan in the United States since 1946, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Tristan most popular?
Tristan peaked in 1996, when 5,844 newborns received the name.
Is Tristan a boy or girl name?
Tristan is used for both: about 5% of babies named Tristan have been girls and 95% boys.
Is the name Tristan rising or falling?
Tristan is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Tristan?
Well-known people named Tristan include Tristan Tzara (writer), Tristan (politician), Tristan Corbière (writer).