Tristen first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Tristen has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Tristen

A masculine name of Welsh origin meaning "sad, pensive, or melancholy".

Popularity of Tristen by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Tristen is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 84% of people named Tristen being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 152 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Tristen.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 152 0
2022 147 7
2021 203 7
2020 266 11
2019 263 11
2018 331 10
2017 376 29
2016 420 25
2015 432 17
2014 551 45
2013 629 51
2012 848 57
2011 850 64
2010 941 68
2009 1,062 79
2008 974 107
2007 942 131
2006 937 152
2005 869 161
2004 912 216
2003 851 243
2002 902 192
2001 886 210
2000 864 172
1999 804 186
1998 1,041 200
1997 1,078 229
1996 1,188 290
1995 618 208
1994 73 74
1993 49 67
1992 63 67
1991 54 61
1990 56 62
1989 64 54
1988 42 71
1987 63 62
1986 53 66
1985 77 65
1984 47 54
1983 45 52
1982 42 44
1981 20 20
1980 0 17
1979 9 16
1978 6 18
1977 8 17
1976 0 15
1975 6 12
1974 0 8

The history of the first name Tristen

The name Tristen originated from the Old French name Tristran, which was derived from the Celtic British name Drystan or Trystan. It is believed that the name has its roots in the Brittonic words "trist" meaning "sad" or "sorrowful" and the suffix "-an" indicating a diminutive form. The name gained popularity through the medieval romance of Tristan and Iseult, a tragic love story that was part of the Arthurian legends.

The earliest known written record of the name Tristen can be found in the 12th century Old French prose romance, the Roman de Tristan, written by Thomas of Britain. This work was based on earlier Celtic legends and was a significant contribution to the development of the Arthurian cycle of stories.

One of the most famous historical figures with the name Tristen was Sir Tristram, a knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle, as well as his tragic love affair with the beautiful Iseult, who was already married to King Mark of Cornwall.

Another notable figure was Tristram Coffyn, an early American settler born in 1609 in Devon, England. He was one of the first settlers of Nantucket Island and played a crucial role in establishing the island's whaling industry, which became a major economic force in the region.

Tristram Shandy, the fictional character created by the English writer Laurence Sterne in his novel "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman," published in 1759, is another famous bearer of the name. The novel is considered a landmark in the development of the novel form and is renowned for its innovative narrative style and humor.

In the realm of music, Tristram Cary, an English composer and pioneer of electronic music, made significant contributions to the field. He was born in 1925 and is best known for his work in creating electronic soundtracks for films and television shows, including the iconic "Doctor Who" theme.

Tristram Hunt, a British historian, broadcaster, and former politician, was born in 1974. He served as a Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central from 2010 to 2017 and was also the Shadow Secretary of State for Education under the leadership of Ed Miliband.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Tristen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tristen, please contact us.

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"Tristen first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/tristen-meaning-and-history/.

"Tristen first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/tristen-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Tristen first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/tristen-meaning-and-history/.

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