Bristol
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Bristol
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.
Bristol for girls#728 US
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.
Bristol for boys#9045 US
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.
Pronounced BRIS-tul.
As of October 2026, Bristol ranked #728 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #390 in 2019.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #424 | 755 | #4,720 | 20 |
| 2015 | #448 | 705 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #526 | 590 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #490 | 638 | #4,967 | 19 |
| 2018 | #510 | 609 | #4,625 | 21 |
| 2019 | #390 | 788 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #491 | 621 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #452 | 691 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #513 | 609 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #529 | 574 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #635 | 463 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #728 | 382 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Bristol for girls
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Bristol.
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Bristol on lists
Famous Bristols
- Bristol Sheeran Marie PalinGirl
American TV personality and daughter of politician Sarah Palin
- Bristol Gail Brooks (b. 2016)Girl
daughter of country music singer Doug Stone
- Bristol PalinBoy
daughter of Sarah Palin
Bristol in pop culture
- BristolGirl
City in South West England
- Bristol BayGirl
Alaska
- Bristol CitiesGirl
cockney rhyming slang
- BristolGirl
minor character in Melody Carlson's "Never Been Kissed"
Variations & nicknames
- BristowBoy