Total births
11,043
Unisex name · since 1973
Bristol
Bristol has 11,043 recorded births since 1973 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2019 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #640
- among girls today
- 11,043
- born since 1973
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
11,043 babies have been named Bristol since 1973, making it today's #640 unisex name.
Bristol has 11,043 recorded births among girls since 1973, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #640 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1973 to 2025.
- #640 among girls today
- 11,043 born since 1973
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bristol is currently the #640 unisex name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 11,043 born since 1973, peaking in the 2010s.
- #640
- among girls today
- 11,043
- born since 1973
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Bristol vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#640
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
61% of everyone ever named Bristol was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
788 babies were named Bristol in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Bristol compares
11,043 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bristol's all-time total is 29x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bristol | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 11,043 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 788 | 48 | 19,840 |
Bristol's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Bristol splits its recorded history at 2004: 97% of all births land in the more recent half, 3% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1973 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 788 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Bristol at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2019
Current rank
#640
Active since
1973
Bristol popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 788
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Bristol popularity over time - boys
573 total births recorded since 1915 (Bristol as boys' name)
Bristol by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Bristol's strongest decade.
6,767 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 61% of all-time use.
Bristol births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 84
1980s
84 births
- 1990s 136
1990s
136 births
- 2000s 710
2000s
710 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,767 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,340 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 6,767 births (61% of all-time use).
How Bristol compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bristol's total volume
Bristol vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Bristol by state
Where Bristol concentrates geographically, total births since 1973
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 794 | 7.2% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 586 | 5.3% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 563 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 492 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 466 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 458 | 4.1% |
| #7 | California | | 442 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 393 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Bristol's total US births 7.2%
Even split
794 of 11,043 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Bristol appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bristol? ▼
Bristol has been given to 11,043 babies in the U.S. since 1973, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #640 as of the latest data. 788 babies were born in 2019, its single highest year.
When was Bristol most popular? ▼
Bristol was most popular in the 2010s decade with 6,767 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Bristol most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bristol are Texas (794 births), Ohio (586 births), North Carolina (563 births).
Is Bristol a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Bristol is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 11,043 births, and as a boy's name it has 573 births.
How long has the name Bristol been used? ▼
Bristol has been recorded in Social Security data since 1973, spanning 53 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Bristol? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brittany, Brianna, Briana, Bridget, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Bristol's data
- Bristol's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (6,767 total births) through the 2020s (3,340) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Bristols (794 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bristol
Nearby Names Like Bristol
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bristol
Brittany Girl
#791 360,673 births
Brianna Girl
#181 264,799 births
Briana Girl
#536 97,120 births
Bridget Girl
#706 92,367 births
Brittney Girl
#2987 82,203 births
Compare Bristol side by side: Bristol vs Brittany Bristol vs Brianna Bristol vs Briana
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bristol
Marina #639
39,514 births · Peak 1994
Estelle #641
56,410 births · Peak 1915
Makenzie #638
45,023 births · Peak 2011
Galilea #642
9,309 births · Peak 2016
Amani #637
13,440 births · Peak 2008
Paislee #643
11,255 births · Peak 2016
Sasha #636
38,492 births · Peak 1988
Isabela #644
12,698 births · Peak 2004
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1973–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bristol: #640 Unisex Name - 11,043 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bristol. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bristol draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.