Travis
Travis is a masculine given name of English origin, derived from an occupational surname linked to the Old French verb traverser, meaning "to cross" or "to traverse," originally denoting a toll collector at a bridge or gate.[1][2] The name entered wider use as a given name in the United States, particularly in honor of William Barret Travis (1809–1836), the American lawyer and soldier who commanded Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.[3] It rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, peaking in popularity during the 1970s when it ranked among the top 30 names for boys in the United States, before declining to around the 360th position by the 2020s amid shifting preferences toward more unique or vintage names.[4]People
Musicians and singers
Randy Travis (born Randy Bruce Traywick, May 4, 1959) is an American country and gospel singer-songwriter whose debut album Storms of Life (1986) became the first country record to achieve platinum certification, selling over one million copies.[5] He amassed 16 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including "Forever and Ever, Amen" (1987), which held the top position for 43 weeks and earned a Grammy for Best Country Song.[6] Travis's career spanned over 20 studio albums, with sales exceeding 25 million units worldwide, and he received seven Grammy Awards before a 2013 stroke caused aphasia and limited his vocal abilities; in 2024, he released "Where That Came From," his first new song in over a decade, utilizing AI to reconstruct his voice from pre-stroke recordings.[6] He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.[5] Travis Tritt (born James Travis Tritt, February 9, 1963) is an American country singer-songwriter who signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1989 and debuted with Country Club (1990), which produced five Top 10 singles and sold over one million copies.[7] His discography includes five number-one hits on the Billboard country chart, such as "Anymore" (1991) and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" (1992), alongside Grammy wins for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1994 and 1998.[8] Tritt has released 13 studio albums, emphasizing traditional country influences with rock elements, and his 2023 gospel project Country Chapel marked his first full-length original album in over a decade.[8] Travis Scott (born Jacques Bermon Webster II, April 30, 1991) is an American rapper, singer, and record producer known for blending hip-hop, trap, and psychedelic elements in albums like Rodeo (2015), Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016), and Astroworld (2018), the latter debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with over 270,000 equivalent album units in its first week.[9] Scott's discography features five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Sicko Mode" (2018) featuring Drake, and he has produced for artists like Kanye West and Rihanna, contributing to over 100 million records sold globally.[10] His live performances, characterized by elaborate stage production, have drawn crowds exceeding 80,000, though marred by the 2021 Astroworld Festival crowd crush resulting in 10 fatalities.[9] Travis Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American drummer, songwriter, and producer best known as the drummer for the pop-punk band Blink-182, with whom he has sold over 50 million albums worldwide since joining in 1998, including the diamond-certified Enema of the State (1999).[11] Barker performs vocals on select tracks and has released solo work, such as the instrumental album Give the Drummer Some (2011), while producing for hip-hop artists including Machine Gun Kelly and Lil Wayne.[11] He survived a 2008 plane crash that killed four, suffering burns over 65% of his body, and returned to touring within months.[11]Athletes
Travis Kelce (born October 5, 1989) is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL), selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati.[12] Kelce holds the NFL record for the most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season (1,416 in 2020) and is the only tight end with multiple 100-reception seasons, achieving this feat three times.[13] He has contributed to three Super Bowl victories (2020, 2023, 2024 seasons) and earned nine Pro Bowl selections along with four First-Team All-Pro honors by 2025.[14] Travis Hunter (born May 18, 2003) is a two-way player in American football, excelling as a cornerback and wide receiver; he played college football at Jackson State and Colorado before being drafted second overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2025 NFL Draft.[15] In the 2024 college season, Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, Biletnikoff Award (top receiver), Bednarik Award (top defender), Walter Camp Award, and other honors, becoming the first player to win both offensive and defensive major awards in the same year after recording 92 receptions for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns offensively, plus 31 tackles, four interceptions, and 11 pass breakups defensively.[16][17] Travis Pastrana (born October 8, 1983) is an American motorsports competitor renowned for achievements in motocross, supercross, rally racing, and freestyle motocross, including seven career wins in the AMA Pro Motocross 125 class and multiple X Games gold medals in disciplines such as motocross best trick and rallycar racing.[18] Pastrana founded the Nitro Circus entertainment brand and has competed in NASCAR, Global RallyCross Championship (winning the 2015 title), and Nitrocross series, spanning over two decades in professional racing.[19][20]Other notable individuals
William Barret Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was an American lawyer and military officer who served as the lieutenant colonel commanding the Texian garrison at the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Born in Saluda County, South Carolina, as the eldest of eleven children, Travis relocated to Alabama in 1818 and later to Texas in 1831 after fleeing debts and personal scandals, including an extramarital affair.[21] [22] He played a key role in early revolutionary activities, such as the Anahuac disturbances against Mexican authorities, and issued the famous "Victory or Death" letter from the Alamo on February 24, 1836, appealing for reinforcements against General Santa Anna's forces. Travis and nearly all his men perished in the battle on March 6, 1836, galvanizing Texian resolve and contributing to the eventual victory at San Jacinto.[21] [23] Travis Fimmel (born July 15, 1979) is an Australian actor and former model recognized for portraying Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel series Vikings from 2013 to 2016. Raised on a cattle farm near Echuca, Victoria, as the youngest of three brothers, Fimmel began his career in modeling after moving to Melbourne at age 17 and later to the United States, where he appeared in campaigns for brands like Calvin Klein.[24] His acting breakthrough came with Vikings, earning praise for embodying the Norse legend's complexity, followed by roles in films such as Warcraft (2016) as Anduin Lothar and Raised by Wolves (2020–2022) on HBO Max.[24] Travis Kalanick (born August 6, 1976) is an American entrepreneur who co-founded Uber Technologies in 2009 and served as its CEO until 2017. A Los Angeles native with a computer engineering background from UCLA, Kalanick previously co-founded Scour and Red Swoosh, file-sharing ventures that faced legal challenges over intellectual property. Under his leadership, Uber grew from a ride-hailing app into a global company valued at billions, disrupting transportation but drawing scrutiny for workplace culture issues and regulatory battles, leading to his resignation amid investor pressure.[25] He later founded CloudKitchens, a ghost kitchen startup, and has invested in various tech firms.[25]Fictional characters
In television and film
Travis Bickle is the protagonist of the 1976 psychological thriller film Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader.[26] Portrayed by Robert De Niro, Bickle is depicted as a troubled Vietnam War veteran working as a night-shift taxi driver in a decaying New York City, whose insomnia and alienation lead to obsessive vigilantism and an assassination attempt on a political candidate.[26] The character's iconic "You talkin' to me?" mirror monologue has become a cultural touchstone for themes of urban isolation and moral descent.[26] In the 1957 Disney live-action film Old Yeller, directed by Robert Stevenson, Tommy Kirk portrays Travis Coates, the eldest son in a Texas pioneer family during the 1860s.[27] Travis matures through responsibilities including farm work and confronting rabies threats, culminating in the emotional decision to euthanize the family's loyal dog after it contracts hydrophobia.[28] The role highlights themes of coming-of-age resilience in frontier life, adapted from Fred Gipson's novel.[28] Ensign Travis Mayweather appears as a recurring character in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005), played by Anthony Montgomery.[29] Born on a cargo ship as a "space boomer," Mayweather serves as the helm officer on the NX-01 Enterprise, the first Earth starship capable of sustained warp-5 travel, contributing to early explorations and encounters with alien species under Captain Jonathan Archer.[29] His background provides narrative contrast to traditional Starfleet upbringing, emphasizing adaptability in interstellar diplomacy and combat.[29] Travis Brody is the romantic lead in the 2009 musical comedy film Hannah Montana: The Movie, portrayed by Lucas Till.[30] A childhood friend and farmhand in Miley Cyrus's hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee, Brody rekindles a connection with protagonist Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), who grapples with her dual life as a pop star and ordinary teen, leading to themes of authenticity and small-town values.[30] Travis Marshall serves as the primary antagonist in season 6 of the crime drama television series Dexter (2011), played by Colin Hanks.[31] A religious fanatic dubbed the "Doomsday Killer," Marshall orchestrates murders inspired by apocalyptic biblical tableaux, initially appearing to collaborate with a hallucinatory accomplice before revelations expose his solitary delusions and psychological unraveling.[31] Travis Wheatley is a recurring character in the Western drama series Yellowstone (2018–2024), portrayed by series creator Taylor Sheridan.[32] A skilled Texas horse trainer and rodeo competitor associated with the Dutton family's operations, Wheatley embodies rough-hewn cowboy expertise but generates conflict through abrasive interactions, particularly with Beth Dutton, underscoring tensions in ranching hierarchies and personal vendettas.[32] In the 2023 horror comedy film Haunted Mansion, directed by Justin Simien, Chase W. Dillon plays Travis, the young son of single mother Gabbie (Rosario Dawson). Relocating to a purportedly haunted Gracey Manor in New Orleans, Travis encounters supernatural entities alongside a group of investigators, blending adventure with ghostly perils drawn from the Disney theme park attraction.In literature and other media
Travis McGee serves as the protagonist in a series of 21 crime novels authored by John D. MacDonald, commencing with The Deep Blue Good-by in 1964 and concluding with The Green Ripper in 1984.[33] McGee operates as a self-described "salvage consultant" based in Florida, recovering stolen property for clients in exchange for half its value, while residing on a houseboat called the Busted Flush.[34] The character embodies a knight-errant archetype in hard-boiled fiction, blending action with critiques of consumerism and environmental degradation, though McDonald avoided formal social advocacy in the narratives.[35] In video games, Travis Touchdown is the antihero lead of the No More Heroes series by Grasshopper Manufacture, debuting in the 2007 Wii title No More Heroes.[36] Touchdown, a 27-year-old American otaku and part-time assassin living in Santa Destroy, employs a beam katana to climb the ranks of an assassins' guild, driven by personal vendettas and pop culture obsessions including anime and wrestling.[37] The series, directed by Goichi Suda, spans multiple entries including No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (2010) and Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (2019), emphasizing satirical violence and meta-gaming elements.[36] Travis Devine appears as the central figure in David Baldacci's thriller series, beginning with The 6:20 Man published in 2022. Devine, a former U.S. Army Ranger turned financier trainee, uncovers corporate conspiracies amid personal turmoil following his discharge under mysterious circumstances.[38] In comics, Travis Morgan, known as the Warlord, features in DC's sword-and-sorcery titles starting from 1st Issue Special #8 in 1975. A U.S. Air Force pilot who crashes into a Hollow Earth realm called Skartaris, Morgan wields a sword and allies with sorceress Tara to combat prehistoric threats and tyrants.[39] The character's adventures explore conquest, magic, and survival in a lost world inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs.[40]Places
In the United States
Travis County is a county in Central Texas, established on March 17, 1840, and encompassing approximately 990 square miles, including the state capital of Austin.[41] It serves as a major hub for technology, government, and culture, with a population of about 1.2 million residents as of recent estimates.[41] The county is named after William Barret Travis, the commander at the Battle of the Alamo. Travis Air Force Base, located in Solano County, California, near Fairfield, operates as a key strategic airlift facility for the U.S. Air Force, handling significant cargo and passenger traffic as the "Gateway to the Pacific."[42] Established in 1942 and renamed in 1951 after Brigadier General Robert F. Travis, who died in a 1950 B-29 crash at the site, the base spans over 7,000 acres and supports the 60th Air Mobility Wing.[43] Lake Travis, a reservoir on the Colorado River spanning Burnet and Travis counties in Texas, extends 65 miles in length and covers 18,930 acres at full capacity, formed by the Mansfield Dam completed in 1942 for flood control, water supply, and recreation.[44] It supports hydroelectric power generation and boating activities, with water levels fluctuating based on regional precipitation and demand.[44] Smaller locales include unincorporated communities such as Travis in Falls County, Texas, situated five miles southeast of Lott along U.S. Highway 77 and established around a surveyed site by Travis Fleming Jones in the 19th century.[45] Another Travis exists in Austin County, Texas, a rural area six miles northwest of Bellville, platted in 1837.[46] Fort Travis Seashore Park on the Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, preserves a historic fortification built in 1836 and named for William B. Travis, later used during World Wars I and II before becoming a public recreational site.[47] Travis Ranch, a census-designated place in Texas, has a population of 10,657.[48]Educational institutions
Schools and colleges
William B. Travis High School is a public secondary school in Richmond, Texas, operated by Fort Bend Independent School District, serving grades 9–12 with an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students as of the 2023–2024 school year. The school, named after the Alamo defender William B. Travis, opened in 2007 and offers Advanced Placement courses alongside career and technical education programs.[49] Travis Early College High School in Austin, Texas, part of Austin Independent School District, enrolls students in grades 9–12 and partners with Austin Community College to allow dual enrollment for college credits starting in the freshman year.[50] Established in 1953 as the district's first high school south of the Colorado River, it transitioned to an early college model to emphasize postsecondary preparation.[50] A second Travis Early College High School operates in San Antonio, Texas, under San Antonio Independent School District, where students from grade 9 begin coursework at San Antonio College for associate degrees or certifications upon graduation.[51] This institution also honors William B. Travis and focuses on underserved communities through its college-preparatory curriculum.[52] William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Gifted and Talented in Dallas, Texas, serves elementary students (K–5) in Dallas Independent School District, emphasizing accelerated learning and STEM integration for high-achieving pupils.[53] Travis Unified School District in Fairfield, California, oversees multiple K–12 schools including Travis Elementary, Golden West Middle, and Vanden High, primarily serving families associated with Travis Air Force Base.[54] The district, established to support military dependents, enrolls over 3,000 students district-wide.[54]Other uses
Technology and software
Travis CI is a hosted software as a service (SaaS) platform for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), designed to automate the building, testing, and deployment of code changes in software development projects. It integrates directly with version control systems including GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, and others, triggering builds upon code pushes or pull requests to ensure code quality before merging.[55][56] The platform uses a declarative YAML configuration file, typically named.travis.yml, stored in the project repository, to specify build environments, scripts, and dependencies, enabling reproducible and version-controlled pipelines.[55]
Founded in early 2011 in Berlin, Germany, Travis CI initially gained traction among open-source developers for its seamless GitHub integration and free tier for public repositories, facilitating over 50 million builds across more than 200,000 projects in its early years.[56][57] By supporting multiple programming languages, runtime environments, and services like databases and caches, it streamlined workflows for diverse teams, though it later introduced paid plans for private repositories and adjusted open-source quotas amid growth and competition from integrated tools like GitHub Actions.[58] As of 2025, it remains operational with enterprise features for scalability, including parallel job execution and customizable infrastructure.[55]
Other software bearing the name Travis includes Travisoft, a suite of applications for employee benefits administration, specializing in compliance tools for COBRA, FSA, open enrollment, and retiree billing processes.[59] Additionally, TRAVIS is an open-source command-line tool for analyzing and visualizing molecular dynamics simulation trajectories, developed for scientific computing and trajectory post-processing.[60] These represent niche applications distinct from broader DevOps tooling.