Bristol

British place-name

"site of the bridge"

Bristol Origin and Meaning

The name Bristol is a boy's name of British origin meaning "site of the bridge".

This name of a busy British port city -- as well as of several places in America -- has a brisk and bustling air. It will now--and for years to come--be identified as a Sarah Palin name, chosen for her eldest daughter, who is now a TV personality herself.

Meaning "site of the bridge" in reference to the English city being divided by the River Avon, Bristol was a rare choice before 2008 when Sarah Palin was chosen to be part of the Republican election campaign. Her family, especially her then teenaged (and pregnant) daughter were then also in the spotlight, pushing the name into the Top 1000 for girls.

As the name became seven times more popular for girls, it also also doubled in usage for boys, peaking in 2009 when it was given to 40 boys. While it has remained stylish for girls, it has become a rarity for boys again, given to 11 babies in a recent year.

20 Names Similar to Bristol

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Bristol.

• Cord
• Acker
• Kessler
• Pacey
• Huxley
• Corbett
• Indy
• Saxon
• Griffin
• Seaton
• Jovi
• Lexington
• Raines
• Pace
• Munro
• Able
• Hurley
• Trig
• Waverly
• Arley

Famous People Named Bristol

• Bristol Palin daughter of Sarah Palin