Trip
Meanings & Origins
"the third (in family lineage)"
"journey, voyage"
Popularity
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“Short, sharp, and full of adventure”
Origin & Etymology
Trip is traditionally a nickname for sons who share their father's and grandfather's name — a 'third' in the family, from the Latin 'ter' meaning three times. It's a companion to 'Trey' (the second) and 'Junior.' As a standalone given name, Trip emerged in American upper-class and Southern families as a preppy moniker. The name also evokes journeys and adventure through its common English meaning.
Popularity Story
Trip and its variant Tripp have been used in Southern and East Coast American prep culture for decades. The name gained some pop culture presence through Trip Fontaine, a character in the film The Virgin Suicides (1999), based on Jeffrey Eugenides' novel, contributing to its slightly literary, nostalgic feel.
Cultural Significance
In American Southern and old-money East Coast culture, the 'Trip' nickname for a third-generation family name is a long-standing tradition, similar to 'Trey' for the second. The name has a clean, sporty, all-American feel that sits comfortably alongside preppy surnames-as-first-names like Hayes, Brooks, and Tucker.
Fun Facts
- 'Trip' as a nickname for 'the third' comes from the Latin 'ter', meaning three times
- Trip Fontaine is a memorable character in Jeffrey Eugenides' novel 'The Virgin Suicides' (1993)
- The name Tripp (with double p) was used by Bristol Palin for her son, born 2008