Total births
124,243
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.
- #267
- among boys today
- 124,243
- born since 1946
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
124,243 babies have been named Tristan since 1946, making it today's #267 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Tristan recorded 124,243 times among boys since 1946, holding rank #267 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.
- #267 among boys today
- 124,243 born since 1946
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tristan is currently the #267 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 124,243 born since 1946, peaking in the 2000s.
- #267
- among boys today
- 124,243
- born since 1946
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Tristan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#267
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Tristan was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
5,659 babies were named Tristan in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Tristan compares
124,243 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 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 339x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tristan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 124,243 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,659 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2008
Current rank
#267
Active since
1946
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Tristan's total US births 10.0%
Even split
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? ▼
Tristan has been given to 124,243 babies in the U.S. since 1946, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #267 as of the latest data. 5,659 babies were born in 2008, its single highest year.
When was Tristan most popular? ▼
Tristan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 43,300 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Tristan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tristan are California (12,463 births), Texas (12,003 births), Florida (7,064 births).
Is Tristan a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Tristan is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 124,243 births, and as a girl's name it has 6,551 births.
How long has the name Tristan been used? ▼
Tristan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1946, spanning 80 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Tristan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tristen, Triston, Tristin, Tripp, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Tristan
Nearby Names Like Tristan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tristan
Tristen Boy
#1436 21,372 births
Triston Boy
#2455 11,602 births
Tristin Boy
#2940 9,785 births
Tripp Boy
#511 8,975 births
Tristian Boy
#1588 7,960 births
Compare Tristan side by side: Tristan vs Tristen Tristan vs Triston Tristan vs Tristin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tristan
Jeremy #266
446,425 births · Peak 1977
Steven #268
1,293,124 births · Peak 1956
Blake #265
186,558 births · Peak 2012
Lukas #269
44,053 births · Peak 2019
Lennox #264
14,330 births · Peak 2022
Emerson #270
33,521 births · Peak 2025
Warren #263
184,518 births · Peak 1921
Walter #271
631,172 births · Peak 1918
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, 1946–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tristan: #267 Unisex Name - 124,243 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tristan. 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 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 June 2026.