Alister
Alister was the 1689th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 97 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 1330th with 141 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 126 places. More babies were named Alister in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Not yet researched how we research meanings
- Rank in 2025
- #1,689 boys, down 133 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 97boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022141 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,664babies recorded
Alister popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 5 since 2018.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,689 | 97 |
| 2020 | #1,556 | 106 |
| 2010 | #3,532 | 30 |
| 2000 | #9,137 | 6 |
| 1990 | #6,429 | 7 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alister, counting every spelling?
Alister is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,198 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,689 for Alister on its own. Together these spellings went to 156 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alister | 97 | #1,689 | 530 |
| Allister | 41 | #2,995 | 292 |
| Alaster | 13 | #6,464 | 56 |
| Alyster | 5 | #12,111 | 29 |
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 Alister?
97 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alister (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alister 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 86 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alister.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alister?
About 1,600 people born in the US named Alister are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 14. That makes Alister 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.
Alister by state
How common Alister was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 36 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 Alister: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alister, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Alister
How popular is the name Alister?
Alister was the 1689th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 97 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 1330th with 141 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 126 places. More babies were named Alister in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Alister a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Alister in the US.
Where is Alister most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alister was most common in Indiana (0.10 per 1,000 boys), followed by Kansas and Texas.