Alistair
Alistair was the 897th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 265 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 885th; the most babies were born in 2025 (265). Over the last ten years it has moved up 126 places. More babies were named Alistair in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning defender of men (via Alexander) · Scottish Gaelic, Greek
Say it AL-is-ter /ˈælɪstər/
- Rank in 2025
- #897 boys, up 64 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 265boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025265 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,088babies recorded
What does the name Alistair mean?
Alistair is an English spelling of Alasdair, the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander, which reached Gaelic through Norman French or Latin. Alexander is Greek Alexandros, made of alexein 'to defend, ward off' and anēr (stem andr-) 'man', so roughly 'defender of men'. DMNES lists a 12th-century king of Scotland among the many early bearers of Alexander. Alastair and Alasdair are other common spellings.
Alasdair (Scottish Gaelic, “Alexander”)ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “to defend”)ἀνήρ (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Alasdair, Alastair, Alister, Alexander.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alistair', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexander', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Alistair
The usual nicknames for Alistair are Al. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Alistair in the last five years, 5 were named Al, against 126 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al · also for Alexander, Alan, Albert | Traditional | #6,822 | 59 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alistairs go by each one.
Alistair popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #897 | 265 |
| 2020 | #961 | 226 |
| 2010 | #1,807 | 81 |
| 2000 | #3,425 | 24 |
| 1990 | #5,005 | 10 |
| 1980 | #5,544 | 6 |
| 1970 | #4,743 | 5 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alistair, counting every spelling?
Alistair is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #742 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #897 for Alistair on its own. Together these spellings went to 338 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alistair | 265 | #897 | 1,275 |
| Alastair | 67 | #2,147 | 297 |
| Allistair | 6 | #10,757 | 27 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alistair?
265 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alistair (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alistair born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 32 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alistair.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alistair?
About 4,000 people born in the US named Alistair are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 15. That makes Alistair a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alistair by state
How common Alistair was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Missouri (2.0×), Washington (1.7×), Ohio (1.6×), Colorado (1.5×). In 20 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alistair: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alistair, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alistair · Sibling names for Alistair
Questions about the name Alistair
What does Alistair mean?
Alistair means “defender of men (via Alexander)” (Scottish Gaelic, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Alistair?
Alistair was the 897th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 265 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 885th; the most babies were born in 2025 (265). Over the last ten years it has moved up 126 places. More babies were named Alistair in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Alistair a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Alistair in the US.
Where is Alistair most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alistair was most common in Missouri (0.30 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Ohio.