Tristan: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Old Welsh, Latin : Noisy one; laborer
Celtic: Noise, sorrowful

What does Tristan mean and stand for?

The name Tristan is of Latin and Celtic origin and means "noise." It is the Old French form of the Pictish name Drustan, a diminutive of Drust. The spelling was eventually altered with the Latin tristis, meaning "sad."

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

Spanish (Tristán) : from the popular medieval personal name Tristán, derived from a British Celtic legend which became incorporated into the Arthurian cycle as the story of Tristan and Iseult. The name is of unknown derivation. It was transmitted through Old French and became associated by folk etymology with Latin tristis ‘sad’.

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Wayne Gretzky

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Tristan has been decreasing in popularity after showing a few promising years. It was in the top 100 from 2006 to 2014.

However, it is the 51st most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Tristan was at its peak popularity in April 2018.

Tristan gained quite a bit of popularity after Brad Pitt portrayed a Tristan in Legends of Fall. Of course, the name existed before then, as one of the Knights of the Round Table. Other notable namesakes include actor Tristan Paul Mack Wilds, actor Tristan John Gemmill, and basketball player Tristan Thompson. The name also received a bump with celebrities Travis Tritt, Wayne Gretzky, Natasha Henstridge, and Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth choosing it for their sons.