Tristen
A respelling of Tristan, which comes from the Pictish Drustan, a diminutive of Drust. French storytellers reshaped it under the influence of triste, meaning sad.
Tristen in 2025
Tristen was given to 121 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 3,126th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 27,400 babies born.
The history of Tristen
Tristen reached its highest point in 1996, when 1,478 babies were given the name, ranking 416th that year.
Across the 58 years of records since 1968, 25,554 babies have been named Tristen. Half of them were born before 2004, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Tristen has switched sex over its history: it went mostly to girls in its early decades, and goes mostly to boys today.
Tristen by decade
| Decade | Babies named Tristen | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20 | 6,991 |
| 1970s | 166 | 4,927 |
| 1980s | 958 | 1,742 |
| 1990s | 6,467 | 416 |
| 2000s | 10,867 | 557 |
| 2010s | 6,023 | 644 |
| 2020s | 1,053 | 1,719 |
Where Tristen is heading
Tristen has fallen 73% over the past decade, from 450 babies in 2015 to 121 in 2025.
Names like Tristen
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Tristen.