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Alister

♂ Boy

Pronounced AL-uh-stur /ˈæl.ə.stəɹ/Medium

Meaning: Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Alasdair (Alexander), from Greek 'alexein' ('to defend') and 'aner' ('man'), 'defender of men'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Alister is an Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, itself the Gaelic version of Alexander, from Greek elements meaning 'defender of men'. It carries Alexander's old warrior sense in a Scottish dress.

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Origin MediumScottish

MeaningAnglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Alasdair (Alexander), from Greek 'alexein' ('to defend') and 'aner' ('man'), 'defender of men'.

U.S. rank (2025)#1689 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births97 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2022

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,658

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Alexander comes from the Greek alexein, 'to defend', and aner, 'man', giving 'defender of men'. Scottish Gaelic reshaped that into Alasdair, and Alister is the spelling that brought it into English. The name has long been at home in Scotland, where Alexander has deep historical roots.

The spelling wanders, with Alistair and Alastair both common alongside the Gaelic Alasdair. All of them point back to the same Greek source through a Scottish route.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Alister is 'origin uncertain', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Alister — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

AlastairAlistairAlasdairAleksandërSkënder

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Alister McGrath (1953-)
Northern Irish theologian and Christian apologist
★Alister MacKenzie (1870-1934)
British golf course architect who designed Augusta National

If you like Alister…

Alistair— a common alternate spelling of the same name

Alastair— another standard spelling variant of Alister

Aleister— shares Alister's Scottish roots

Coulter— lands in the same popularity range

Roderick— shares Alister's Scottish roots

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Alister mean?

Alister is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with Scottish tradition.

How do you pronounce Alister?

It's commonly said AL-uh-stur /ˈæl.ə.stəɹ/.

Is Alister a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Alister is used as a boy name.

How popular is Alister?

In 2024, Alister ranked #1648 in the U.S. for boys, with 102 births recorded.