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HelpRe: Tristan
in reply to a message by guasguendi
Yeah, I was kind of wondering what caused the popularity. Was it because Kristen, Kristin were popular for girls and people liked similar sounds? There was a Tristin (dislike the spelling) (male) on "Gilmore Girls", so maybe that helped some. Can't think of other popular namesakes from around the time.
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Actually, it was due to Tristan Ludlow (played by Brad Pitt) from the movie Legends of the Fall (https://www.nancy.cc/2022/09/20/baby-name-tristan/; this page is amazing if you look for popularizations of names!).
But I wonder if the movie also caused Tristan to boost in popularity in France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Slovenia. It's also got some usage in Georgia (the country)! Here in Spain there are 2,278 bearers of the name (as Tristán) and what is surprising is the average age: 12.6 years, making it a relatively modern name.
But I wonder if the movie also caused Tristan to boost in popularity in France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Slovenia. It's also got some usage in Georgia (the country)! Here in Spain there are 2,278 bearers of the name (as Tristán) and what is surprising is the average age: 12.6 years, making it a relatively modern name.
Before that movie, it started charting on the top 1000 in 1971, after a TV movie version of Tristan & Isolde came out. There was also a Salvador Dali book, and a recording of Wagner's opera. That first boost might be why it was used by the author of the 1979 book, that inspired the Legends of the Fall movie. It was cool enough for a character - but not ready to be used for real boys yet. Kinda like Luna when the HP books were written?
I feel like Tristan was inevitably going to be popular ... in part because as a youth in the 80s (having only seen it as the opera title) I found it appealing ... I think the things that delayed its popularity, were the similarity to Kristen (which was taking off in 1970), the general unfamiliarity, & association with medieval romance (which I think would have made it seem too "flaky" to people then, kind of like using Lancelot for a boy).
Those things were not going to inhibit parents anymore (people around my age, who probably were aware of it before the movie and liked it) at the time the Pitt portrayal came out, so it took right off. But, I think it might have done anyway - even without the movie, just to a lesser extent, or a bit later.
I feel like Tristan was inevitably going to be popular ... in part because as a youth in the 80s (having only seen it as the opera title) I found it appealing ... I think the things that delayed its popularity, were the similarity to Kristen (which was taking off in 1970), the general unfamiliarity, & association with medieval romance (which I think would have made it seem too "flaky" to people then, kind of like using Lancelot for a boy).
Those things were not going to inhibit parents anymore (people around my age, who probably were aware of it before the movie and liked it) at the time the Pitt portrayal came out, so it took right off. But, I think it might have done anyway - even without the movie, just to a lesser extent, or a bit later.
I didn't know that, thanks for sharing!
Oh! That's probably it. Thanks for sharing this great website! I will look up some names now :)
Brad Pitt must have been huge at the time, so my guess is that this is indeed the reason for its popularity in Europe.
Brad Pitt must have been huge at the time, so my guess is that this is indeed the reason for its popularity in Europe.
You're welcome. :)
And most likely Brad also made it popular in Europe.
And most likely Brad also made it popular in Europe.