boy's name
Travis
TRAV-iss (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 326,509
the United States
#434
2025 births
Travis is a boy's name from an occupational surname meaning a toll collector, one who worked at a crossing. It charts in six markets and ranks higher in Northern Ireland at 252nd than in the United States at 434th.
- Travis is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1989, when 11,575 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,529 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Travis Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 76 |
| 1890s | 97 |
| 1900s | 194 |
| 1910s | 1,515 |
| 1920s | 2,568 |
| 1930s | 3,271 |
| 1940s | 3,708 |
| 1950s | 3,988 |
| 1960s | 12,763 |
| 1970s | 64,623 |
| 1980s | 103,689 |
| 1990s | 68,364 |
| 2000s | 25,766 |
| 2010s | 14,898 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,167 |
What Travis Means
Travis means a toll collector, or one who works at a crossing point. The French verb behind it means to cross, and the name identifies the man who took the fee for crossing.
Where Travis Comes From
Travis is an occupational surname from the Old French traverser, to cross — the same root as traverse. It named the man who collected the toll at a bridge, ford or turnpike, a responsible position when crossings were few and the fees funded their upkeep. The Normans brought the word to England, where it became a surname, and its use as a given name is American and twentieth-century. William Barret Travis commanded at the Alamo in 1836 and is the bearer who made it common in Texas and then more widely.
Travis in Use
Travis peaked in the United States in 1989, when 11,575 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 252nd in Northern Ireland on 8 births, 347th in Scotland on 11, 434th in the United States on 732, 634th in England and Wales on 59 and 3,005th in France, across 326,509 lifetime births in six markets. Northern Ireland and Scotland both place it higher than America does.
How Popular Is Travis?
In 2025, Travis was given to 732 babies in the United States, ranking #434 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Travis Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Travis
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Travis Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Travis over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Travis
- English TRAV-iss /ˈtɹæv.ɪs/
Travis in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Travers Traverse
Sibling Names for Travis
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Travis — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Travis
What does the name Travis mean?
A toll collector — from the Old French traverser, to cross, naming the man who took the fee at a crossing.
Is Travis related to traverse?
Yes, both come from the same French verb meaning to cross.
Where is Travis used?
Six markets, and it ranks higher in Northern Ireland than in the United States.
How popular is Travis?
434th in the United States, down from a 1989 peak of 11,575 births.
Is Travis a girl's or a boy's name?
Travis is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Travis?
Travis has 2 syllables.
Is Travis a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Travis currently ranks #252 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.