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The surname Tristan was first found in Devon where "it appears as a Christian name in England from the end of the 12th century, usually in the form Tristram." 1 The name is derived from the Celtic Drystan, from drestm drust meaning 'tumult, din.' 1
Another source claims the name was from the Cornish Trestean, Tresteen, probably meaning the Stained or Coloured House [Cornish and Welsh tre, a homestead, farm, etc. + the Cornish cogn. of Welsh ystaen, stained, coloured]. "It is tempting to see the Cornish stean = Welsh ystaen, tin, in this name." 2
Found initially as a forename, early rolls show Tristam Cementarius in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1204. Tristram le Cheverer was found in London in 1278 and Tristam Merewyne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 1
As a surname, we found Henry Tristram in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1207; Leonard Tristram in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Richard Tristram in the Subsidy Rolls for Kent in 1334. 1
Tristan (Tristram or Tristain) is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed Tristan's uncle, King Mark of Cornwall, but they accidentally drink a love potion during the journey and fall in love. Tristan is banished and later died. According to the legend, his is the nephew of King Mark of Cornwall. Today the The Tristan Stone, or The Longstone (Cornish: Menhir, meaning long stone), stands beside the road leading to Fowey in Cornwall. Richard Wagner composed the opera Tristan and Isolde based on the legend in the mid 19th century. Since then, there have been numerous films based on the character and his plight.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tristan research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1080, 1163, 1510, 1577, 1600, 1622, 1629 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Tristan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Tristram, Trestram, Tristam and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Tristan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Tristan is the 14,730th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Tristan is ranked the 7,965th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 4
Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Tristan: