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Home › Baby Names Directory › Trista

Trista

♀ Girl

Pronounced TRIS-tuh /ˈtrɪs.tə/High

Meaning: Trista is a modern feminine form of Tristan, the hero of the medieval Tristan and Iseult legend. Tristan's name is Celtic in root (Drustan) but was long linked by storytellers to the Latin tristis, 'sad; sorrowful' — a fitting gloss for a tragic romance.Low

In 30 seconds: A feminine Tristan: Trista is tied to the Latin tristis, 'sad,' by way of a medieval romance (said 'TRIS-tuh').
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Origin LowLatin, Celtic
MeaningTrista is a modern feminine form of Tristan, the hero of the medieval Tristan and Iseult legend. Tristan's name is Celtic in root (Drustan) but was long linked by storytellers to the Latin tristis, 'sad; sorrowful' — a fitting gloss for a tragic romance.
U.S. rank (2024)#13313 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1984
Total births (all-time)≈ 12,458

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198419602024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Trista is a modern feminine of Tristan, whose Celtic root is Drustan; medieval writers reshaped it toward the Latin tristis, 'sad,' to fit the tragic love story of Tristan and Iseult. Trista rose in late twentieth-century America and got a further push from reality television. The routes are part legend, part folk etymology, which we note (said 'TRIS-tuh').

It appears only rarely for girls in the U.S. Rare, romantic, and literary.

Did you know? Tristan's name was linked to the Latin tristis — 'sorrowful' — by medieval storytellers who thought it suited the doomed lover of Iseult. Trista inherits that romantic melancholy.
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Trista — Feminine of Tristan; Latin tristis folk etymology; Celtic Drustan root

Variations

TristanTristenChrista

Nicknames

TrisTrixie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Trista…

Tristan— the name Trista feminizes
Tessa— a like crisp two-beat pick
Krista— a like -ista ending name
Christa— a like familiar sound cousin

Explore names like Trista

By thememodernlatinliteraryromantic

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Trista mean?

Trista is a feminine form of Tristan, long linked to the Latin tristis, 'sad,' though Tristan's root is Celtic. Routes are part legend, which we note.

How do you pronounce Trista?

It's said TRIS-tuh /ˈtrɪs.tə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Trista a boy or girl name?

Trista is used as a girl's name; Tristan is its masculine source.

How popular is Trista?

Trista is rare for girls in the U.S. today.

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