Unisex name · since 1946
Tristan
Since 1946, U.S. Social Security records show 124,243 babies named Tristan, peaking in 2008. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #269 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #309 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 124,243
- born since 1946
- 2000s
- peak decade
124,243 babies have been named Tristan since 1946, making it today's #309 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Tristan recorded 124,243 times among boys since 1946, holding rank #309 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1946 to 2025.
- #269 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #309 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 124,243 born since 1946
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tristan ranks #269 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #309 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 124,243 born since 1946, peaking in the 2000s.
- #269 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #309 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 124,243
- born since 1946
- 2000s
- peak decade
Tristan's 124,243 recorded births place it above 99.4% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Tristan compares
124,243 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Tristan's all-time total is 337x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tristan | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 124,243 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,659 | 34 | 22,252 |
Tristan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Tristan's full recorded timeline at 1986, 96% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 4% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1946, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2008 peak of 5,659 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Tristan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1946–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 5,659
- Annual births at peak, across 80 years of records
Tristan popularity over time - girls
6,551 total births recorded since 1962 (Tristan as girls' name)
Tristan by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (43,300 births, 35% of the file).
2000s was Tristan's strongest decade.
43,300 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Tristan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 19
1940s
19 births
- 1950s 89
1950s
89 births
- 1960s 272
1960s
272 births
- 1970s 1,037
1970s
1,037 births
- 1980s 7,582
1980s
7,582 births
- 1990s
1990s
23,915 births
- 2000s
2000s
43,300 births
- 2010s
2010s
38,693 births
- 2020s 9,336
2020s
9,336 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 43,300 births (35% of all-time use).
How Tristan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Tristan's total volume
Tristan by state
Where Tristan concentrates geographically, total births since 1946
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,463 | 10.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12,003 | 9.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 7,064 | 5.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 6,614 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 4,431 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 4,152 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 4,150 | 3.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 4,117 | 3.3% |
12,463 of 124,243 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Tristan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tristan? ▼
Where does Tristan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Tristan most popular? ▼
Where is Tristan most popular? ▼
Is Tristan a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Tristan been used? ▼
What names are similar to Tristan? ▼
What to do with Tristan's data
- Tristan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (43,300 total births); usage has since declined to 9,336 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Tristans (12,463 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tristan
Nearby Names Like Tristan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tristan
Compare Tristan side by side: Tristan vs Tristen Tristan vs Triston Tristan vs Tristin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tristan
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tristan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2008)
Similar record span (~79 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1946–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Tristan 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 August 2026.