How popular is the baby name Tristana in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Tristana.

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Popularity of the baby name Tristana


Posts that mention the name Tristana

Where did the baby name Tristana come from in 1971?

The character Tristana from the Spanish film "Tristana" (1970).
Tristana from “Tristana

The name Tristana has popped up in the U.S. baby name data a total of four times. The first three appearances were in the early 1970s:

  • 1974: unlisted
  • 1973: 5 baby girls named Tristana
  • 1972: 7 baby girls named Tristana
  • 1971: 8 baby girls named Tristana [debut]
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: unlisted

What put Tristana on the map?

The 1970 Spanish-language film Tristana, directed by Luis Buñuel. It was set in the early 1900s, and the title character — whose name was based on the phrase “triste Ana” (“sad Ana”) — was played by French actress Catherine Deneuve.

Here’s a summary of the film:

After the death of her mother, Tristana goes to live with her guardian Don Lope, who seduces her. She runs away from Lope with a young artist named Horacio. Unable to commit to Horacio and in need of health care due to her growing cancer, Tristana returns to Don Lope.

The film was released in the U.S. in September of 1970. It ended up receiving an Oscar nomination for “Best Foreign Language Film.”

It was based on the 1892 novel Tristana by Spanish novelist Benito Pérez Galdós.

Sources: Tristana (1970) – IMDb, The 43rd Academy Awards, Tristana (1970) – Rotten Tomatoes

P.S. Tristana reminds me of Tristaca, another name that debuted in the ’70s…

Approved and rejected baby names in Iceland

The recent news about the Icelandic girl named Blær reminds me…

Did you know that the Mannanafnanefnd, Iceland’s Personal Names Committee, puts its baby name rulings online? Every acceptance and rejection going back to 2001 is available.

One particularly interesting ruling is the split decision that happened in late 2008 over the name Skallagrímur, which was ultimately rejected.

But the Mannanafnanefnd’s rulings are in Icelandic, and if you don’t read Icelandic, well, they’re a bit hard to make out. :) So, to make it easier, here are current lists of Iceland’s approved and rejected baby names:

Over 1,700 boy names and over 1,800 girl names have been given the Iceland’s stamp of approval so far.

Sources: I ain’t the only one who loves names!, Icelandic Name Committee Reaches Rare Split Decision

Update, 7/9/14 – The government of Iceland now has a separate website for approved and rejected baby names. I’ve just updated all the links.