How to say it
TRAV · is
/ˈtræv.ɪs/
Masculine
Travis
To cross, tollgate keeper
What it means
An English surname from the French traverser, 'to cross,' for someone who kept a tollgate at a crossing.
Travis comes from the Old French traverser, 'to cross,' and named the keeper of a tollgate or river crossing. William Travis commanded the defenders at the Alamo, and the name became a 1980s staple. Today it carries rapper Travis Scott and NFL star Travis Kelce, with Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle on the darker side. Trav is the short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #36 in 1979, currently #434 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Trav is the everyday short.
- Pop culture
Travis Scott; Travis Kelce; William Travis of the Alamo.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Travis Kelce NFL tight end
- Travis Scott American rapper and producer
Spelling variants
- Travers
- Traviss