Tristan

The name Tristan is of Celtic origin and means "outcry" or "sorrowful." It was made popular by the medieval legend of Tristan and Isolde, a tragic love story that originated in Celtic mythology and was later immortalized in French and German literature as well as the 1859 Richard Wagner opera ‘Tristan und Isolde.’ It gained favor in the English-speaking world in the 20th century and is still a popular gender-neutral name today.

As a boy name, Tristan has been on the Social Security Administration’s Top 1000 baby names list since 1971, when it was ranked number 863. It has gained in popularity through the years, reaching its peak in 1996 when it hit number 68. In more recent years it has hovered in the low 100- to 200 range. (In contrast, Tristan has only been in the Top 1000 for girls since 1982, and while it also had its peak year in 1996 with a ranking of 592, it has generally hovered near the bottom of the list.)

Variations of the name Tristan include: Tristen, Tristin, Tristian, Tristram, and Trystan. There are also versions of the name in other languages, including Tristão in Portuguese and Tristán in Spanish.

Famous Tristans include professional basketball player (and Khloe Kardashian’s ex) Tristan Thompson; Tristan is also the name of one of Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky’s twin sons.