Bristin
A unique feminine name, possibly derived from the English word "bristle".
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Bristin. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 66.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Bristin today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bristin births was 2013 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bristin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bristin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
2013
7 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2014 SSA rank
#10,914
Tracked since 2012
Gender
Gender distribution for Bristin
Bristin is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 18 total registrations, 6 (33.3%) were male and 12 (66.7%) were female.
Bristin as a male name
- Ranked #10,914 in 2014
- 6 male births in 2014
- Peak: 2014 (6 births)
Bristin as a female name
- Ranked #13,428 in 2013
- 7 female births in 2013
- Peak: 2013 (7 births)
Popularity
Bristin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Bristin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bristin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 12 | 18 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Bristin
The name Bristin has its origins in the ancient Britonnic languages spoken in parts of what is now known as Britain and northern France. It is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *brix, meaning "hill" or "high place." This root can also be found in the modern Welsh word bryn, meaning "hill" or "mound."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bristin can be found in the ancient Welsh chronicle Annales Cambriae, which mentions a Britonnic ruler named Bristin ap Rhain who ruled in the region of Gwynedd in the 6th century AD. This suggests that the name was in use among the Celtic Britons during the sub-Roman and early medieval period.
In the 9th century, the name appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which records the death of a Britonnic nobleman named Bristin in the year 834 during a conflict with the Mercian king Wiglaf. This provides evidence that the name was still in use among the Britonnic people of Wales and the surrounding areas during the height of the Anglo-Saxon period.
One of the most notable figures in history to bear the name Bristin was Bristin ap Cadwgan (c. 1070 – c. 1132), a Welsh prince and military leader who fought against the Norman conquest of Wales. He is remembered for his resistance against the Norman lords and his defense of Welsh independence.
Another prominent individual with this name was Bristin Iorwerth (c. 1145 – 1222), a Welsh cleric and scholar who served as the Bishop of St. Asaph in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He was known for his efforts to promote education and learning in Wales during a period of cultural upheaval following the Norman conquest.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Bristin ap Rhys (c. 1310 – 1378) is recorded as a Welsh poet and bard who composed works in both Welsh and Latin. He was celebrated for his skill in the intricate bardic tradition of Wales and his contributions to the development of Welsh literature.
Lastly, the name Bristin was also borne by Bristin Glyndŵr (c. 1380 – 1415), a Welsh nobleman and military commander who fought alongside Owain Glyndŵr in the Welsh uprising against English rule in the early 15th century. He played a significant role in the resistance movement and is remembered as a patriotic figure in Welsh history.
People
Bristin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bristin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bristin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bristin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bristin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Bristin a common name?
We classify Bristin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 18 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bristin most popular?
The single biggest year for Bristin was 2013, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bristin is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bristin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bristin a female name?
Yes, 66.7% of people registered as Bristin in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Bristin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bristin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bristin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Bristin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Bristin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.