Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Tristan and Tristram

60 replies

17caterpillars1mouse · 23/02/2018 16:09

What are your thoughts. I like both but think i prefer Tristram. My mum thinks it's awful though, it is really that bad? Do you know any Tristram's or Tristan's?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
FartnissEverbeans · 12/04/2019 14:55

The variant Tristram is in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur

That’s the one 👍🏻

NutMeghan · 12/04/2019 08:25

Tristan

And for Brad Pitt in Legends of the fall. An amazing name for this reason.

Bumblebeesmum · 11/04/2019 21:49

I really hate both but I can’t say Tristram very well

ThanksItHasPockets · 11/04/2019 10:17

It’s usually Tristan in the Isolde / Iseult stories. The variant Tristram is in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur and the Matthew Arnold poem.

FartnissEverbeans · 11/04/2019 10:08

My first association with Tristram is the knight from Tristram and Isolde.

I don’t think it’s completely unusable but it is super (SUPER) posh and a bit... pretentious (sorry, I’m not trying to be mean, I promise!). If I met a Tristram I’d probably go home to my husband that night and be like “I met a guy called TRISTRAM today! Can you believe that was his actual name?” And I say that as someone who loves weird names - my DS has a really unusual one.

Tristan, though, is lovely. A bit posh, he’s, but just a nice name.

ThanksItHasPockets · 11/04/2019 09:33

AA Gill used to use ‘Tristram’ to refer derisively to the type of men who commissioned and made TV programmes, so it always makes me think of him. That’s a fairly niche connotation, however.

I love Tristan.

PlatypusLeague · 11/04/2019 08:08

I really like Tristan. Tristram makes me think of rams.

Smellslikemiddleagespirit · 10/04/2019 23:31

I know a 10 year old Tristyn, he’s a lovely boy.

Tristram is truly awful. The only way I can say it is if I treat it as two separate words Tris Tram.

IckyTummy · 10/04/2019 22:23

Tristram as in Shandy? Awful book. Would make you look pretentious as parents.

Tristan isn't one that I'd choose, but at least it's easy to pronounce!

Tristram · 10/04/2019 21:45

Its a great name, although do your research on Tristram vs Tristan.
Tristram is the medieval variant and predates Tristan.

On a plus i can usually keep my username as my actual name :-)

www.behindthename.com/name/tristram

MikeUniformMike · 24/02/2018 13:49

Tristram is much better than Tristan. Tristan is a sad name.
Tristram Hunt.

PinkAvocado · 24/02/2018 12:13

I know a couple of Tristrans and I like it. Tristram is pretty awful when I say it-it comes out as an utter mess.

PaperdollCartoon · 24/02/2018 12:13

Strikethrough fail

PaperdollCartoon · 24/02/2018 12:11

Tristram Hunt is lovely.

But I prefer Tristan. I have a pretty —posh— well-spoken voice, the kind that’s meant to sound fine with names like Tristram, and I still find it really hard to say, doesn’t flow well. Tristan wouldn’t be my first choice but it’s nice and underused, won’t be 7 of them in his class.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 24/02/2018 12:05

Not keen sorry OP.

How about:
Titus
Theodore (THEO)
Tobias (Toby)

gingergenius · 24/02/2018 12:03

You could always ditch both and go for Vulcan? I hear that name's very much up and coming? Grin

shetookshelter · 24/02/2018 11:53

I kind of hate them both. But Tristan is better than Tristram I suppose.

Upsidedownandinsideout · 24/02/2018 11:43

My friends DH is called Tristram, we also all thought he was called Tristan but had a speech impediment. It looks nice but sounds tricky and he'd forever be correcting people (or being nice and letting it slide for ages like friend's DH!)

CatsForgotPassword · 24/02/2018 11:40

Tristan is fine. I have a family member with this name. I can’t say Tristram

Backingvocals · 24/02/2018 09:25

Oh thank god. I thought this was for twins ShockGrin

C0untDucku1a · 24/02/2018 09:22

Is Tristmegistus in the running?

starkid · 24/02/2018 09:20

Love Tristan, but Tristram is just a struggle and also looks a bit messy

ThankYouGillian · 23/02/2018 23:24

I prefer Tristan. How about Christian? Similar sound.....

dingdongdigeridoo · 23/02/2018 23:02

Tristan is very posh in my mind. It’s like Tarquin or Rupert. Not bad, just posh.

bridgetreilly · 23/02/2018 22:59

I like Tristan better, not least because, as others have said, Tristram is quite hard to say.

Swipe left for the next trending thread