The name Bristol is a girl's name of English origin meaning "the site of the bridge".

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Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Alaska governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, grabbed her own share of headlines after her pregnancy and having appearing on Dancing With The Stars. She subsequently (almost) single-handedly propelled her distinctive name, derived from the name of a city in England, into the Top 1000 and up the charts. 
 
A very rare name before 2008 when Palin's mother was chosen as the Republican's vice president running mate, Bristol had sky-rocketed by 2009 when it made the charts. The number of girls called Bristol doubled between 2007 and 2008 when it was given to 65 babies. The following year, it was seven times more popular again, given to around 440 girls.
 
Bristol Palin was named in honor of the Bristol Inn where her mother was employed, along with Bristol, Connecticut , and Bristol Bay, Alaska, where her father spent his childhood. Meaning "the site of the bridge", it could also be a nod to the English city and to American Independence Day, as the Bristol 4th July Parade in Rhode Island is one of the longest running celebrations of the event.
 
Bristol remains in the US Top 1000 but it had seen a decline in use in recent years. Given to 573 girls in a recent year (along with 11 boys), it is a slightly off-beat yet familiar choice.

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

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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.

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