Alastair

Alastair - A very unique male name

Alastair appeared on the charts for the first time in 2006 on position #3739. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Alastair and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Alastair? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Alastair. The baby boy name Alastair was given to 18 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2518 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 81,460 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Alastair peaked in popularity 7 years ago in 2019 on position 2272.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Alastair, 1-5?

Alastair is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Alastair is currently topping the baby name charts in Oregon at position #529 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,085.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Alastair is where you live.

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Alastair origin and meaning

Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander, from Greek

"Defender of men" — from Greek Alexandros: alexein, "to defend," + aner, "man"

Alastair is the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander, long used in Scotland in spellings like Alastair, Alistair and Alasdair. It has only appeared in US data since 2006 and remains rare, peaking at 23 births in 2019.

Attested etymology

Alastair is a 8 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Alastair, pop culture references for the name Alastair and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Alastair

We've found the following names that sound similar to Alastair, sorted by popularity.

Alistair / Alston / Alister / Alcide / Allister / Aleister / Alcides / Alastor / Alasdair / Algot /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Alastair

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Alastair a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Alastair?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

AL-uh-stair · /ˈæləstɛər/

Around the world

• Alexandros (Greek) — Original Greek form of Alexander
• Alexandre (French) — French form of Alexander

Spellings and nicknames

• Alistair — Common alternative spelling
• Alasdair — Scottish Gaelic spelling
• Allister — Anglicised variant

Nicknames: AlAlly

Famous bearers

• Alastair Cook — English cricketer and former England Test captain (b. 1984) Contemporary

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

A distinguished Scottish form of Alexander that feels literary and formal without being common in the US.

Worth knowing

• Expect the Alistair and Alasdair spellings to cause regular corrections.