Bristol. Bristol /bris-tol/ [2 sylls.] as a boys' name (also used more widely as girls' name Bristol) is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Bristol is meeting place by the bridge. Place name: an ancient and important city in England, with one of the most important ports on the west coast.ristol is an uncommon given name for men but a very popular last name for all people (#4473 out of 150436, Top 3%). (2000 U.S. Census). Shown below is the birth name popularity of Bristol for boys. Bristol has not been listed in the list thus far. (Top 1000 Baby Names Records, 2014).