Given name & surname
Aleister
“helper and defender of mankind”
Aleister is a variant of Alastair. In Scottish use, Alastair carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Aleister is a variant of Alastair. In Scottish use, Alastair carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Aleister developed from Ἀλέξανδρος.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1997. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Aleister through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 653
- 653 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 69 babies
- 2025
- 42
- #2,943 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −8%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 42 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,943 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 8.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 361 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Aleister’s family of names
In English usage, Aleister developed from the Ancient Greek form Ἀλέξανδρος. Aleister has a related form in Alastair. In English usage, Aleister has a conventional equivalent in the Azerbaijani form Alister.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Aleister has relatives in 19 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Aleister comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 18
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Aleister
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Aleister, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ata
“good”
>99% boys
Ostap
“steadfast, stable”
>99% boys
Xander
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Arrian
Arrian is a masculine given name from Ancient Greek.
77% boys · 23% girls
Mikail
“who is like God?”
>99% boys
Ptolemy
Ptolemy is a masculine given name from Ancient Greek.
>99% boys
Dismas
“sunset”
>99% boys
Matthaeus
“gift of YHWH (the Lord)”
>99% boys