Tristan at a glance
- Meaning
- “uncertain, possibly tumult”
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Welsh
- Pronunciation
- TRIS-tun
- Other forms
- Tristram, Drystan, Tristán, Tristano
Where the name Tristan comes from
Tristan is the hero of the medieval love story Tristan and Isolde, part of the King Arthur legends. The name probably comes from the old Celtic name Drustan, whose meaning is uncertain; in French it was later linked to triste, “sad”. It has been used more often as a first name since the 20th century.