Tristan | Name Meaning & Origin

Mythological Names, Places Names, Celtic Names, English Names

English speaking countries

This name is of Celtic origins but its meaning has been lost. It might be derived from the Old Celtic name Drysdan. The sources through which this name has come to us have associated it with the Latin 'tristis' and French 'triste' (sad), which fits well with the famous story of Tristan and Isolde. In the story - which varies, Tristan is a knight who is sent by King Mark of Cornwall to fetch Isolde of Ireland, who King Mark is to marry. Tristan and Isolde fall in love, but Isolde has to marry the King, so their love is doomed. Their story was the subject of Wagner's opera 'Tristan and Isolde'.

Tristan da Cunha is a remote collection of volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1961, the residents were evacuated off the islands due to a volcanic eruption.