Given name

Trista

“one who is sorrowful”

Trista is a feminine form of Tristan. One Celtic interpretation is “a sorrowful man; in Arthurian legend, a knight of the Round Table.”

Meaning & origin

What it means

In English use, Trista carries the interpretation “one who is sorrowful.” Trista is a feminine form of Tristan. One Celtic interpretation is “a sorrowful man; in Arthurian legend, a knight of the Round Table.”

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is English.

How it developed

Trista is used as a feminine counterpart of Tristan.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1960. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Trista is a feminine form of Tristan. The history of Tristan gives this family its wider story. Tristan’s literary history includes the stories of King Arthur and his knights.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Trista through the years

Babies since 1880
12,464
5 boys · 12,459 girls
Most popular year
1984
1,215 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
−84%
Cooling
02004006008001960198020002025Highest share 19840.0
Trista in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1960–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 7 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,215 in 1984. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 11,025 as a first name in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Trista’s family of names

Trista is a feminine form of Tristan. Trista has a related form in Tristen. Trista has a related form in Tristyn.

Walk Trista’s family in the name graph

TristaThristaTristenTristynTristinaTrystaTristeTristanaTristiaTristessaTristahTristyneTrystiaTrisstaTristanTris

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Spellings & scripts 1

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 2

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

Similar names

If you love Trista, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

American · Literary

Tawana

“a wanderer”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

English · Royal

Titania

“of the giants” · “queen of the fairies”

13Very rare

>99% girls

English · Literary

Ceit

Ceit is a feminine given name from English. It is used in Scottish Gaelic.

No U.S. birth series

>99% girls

Literary

Tawanna

“a wanderer”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

English · Literary

Élaine

“the shining light”

No U.S. birth series

>99% girls

Literary

Tawanda

“a wanderer”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Literary

Taiwana

“a wanderer”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Sanskrit · Literary

Janaki

“descendant of Janaka”

14Very rareRising fast

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Trista’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Trista

A sister for Trista