Alistair

Alistair - A very unique male name

Alistair appeared on the charts for the first time in 1981 on position #1999. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Alistair and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Alistair? 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 Alistair. The baby boy name Alistair was given to 205 baby boys in 2025, ranking #933 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 7,153 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Alistair peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 895.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Alistair, 1-5?

Alistair is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Alistair is currently topping the baby name charts in Colorado at position #537 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,290.

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 Alistair is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Alistair origin and meaning

Scottish Gaelic, from Greek

Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander, from Greek Alexandros, 'defender of men'

Alistair is Alexander as Scotland remade it — Alasdair in Gaelic, Alistair in English dress. It reached America late, appearing in the data only in 1981, and has climbed slowly to a small plateau, helped by a general taste for distinguished British classics. Broadcaster Alistair Cooke, who was born Alfred and took Alistair as his name, gave it its transatlantic voice for fifty years.

Attested etymology

Alistair is a 8 letter name with 3 syllables.

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

Similar to Alistair

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

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

---

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 Alistair

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 Alistair 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 Alistair?

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.

---

Pronunciation

AL-iss-tuh · /ˈælɪstər/

Around the world

• Alasdair (Scottish Gaelic) — The Gaelic form of the same name
• Alastar (Irish) — The Irish form of Alexander

Spellings and nicknames

• Alastair — A common spelling variant — a separate name
• Alister — A streamlined spelling variant
• Alexander — The source name — a separate, far more common name

Nicknames: Al

Famous bearers

• Alistair Overeem — Dutch mixed martial artist and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion (b. 1980) Contemporary
• Alistair Cooke — British-American broadcaster of Letter from America, born Alfred Cooke and known by the name Alistair he adopted (1908–2004) Contemporary

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

It is Alexander with Scottish tailoring — bookish, distinguished, and still rare in America.

Worth knowing

• Alistair, Alastair, Alister: even in Britain the spelling splits — pick one and correct often.