Given name
Alistair
“helper and defender of mankind”
In English use, Alistair has a related form in Alastair. In Scottish use, Alastair carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Alistair has a related form in Alastair. In Scottish use, Alastair carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Scottish use, Alistair is a form of Alexander. Alexander has been associated with Latin and Greek naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Scottish use, Alistair is used as a spelling variant of Gaelic.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1956. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alistair through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,088
- 4,088 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 265 babies
- 2025
- 265
- #897 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 265 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 897 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (32). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,322 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.
Alistair’s family of names
In English usage, Alistair has a diminutive in Ali. In English usage, Alistair developed from the Latin form Alexander. In English usage, Alistair has a related form in Alastair.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Alistair has relatives in 25 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
Irishwhere Alistair comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Alidiminutive · English
- Alistervariant · Manx, Serbo-Croatian
- Alastairvariant · English
- Alypet form
- Alastervariant · English
- Aldiminutive · English
- Ollistervariant · Manx
- Allistairevariant · English
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 30
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Alexanderroot · English, German
- Alejandroequivalent
- Lisandroequivalent
- Alexandreequivalent
- Aleksandrequivalent
- Alasdairsource · Scottish Gaelic
- Alexandrequivalent
- Alexandruequivalent
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- AlastarIrish
- Iskandarequivalent
- Алістерequivalent
- АлистерRussian, Serbo-Croatian
- АлександарSerbian
- إسكندرequivalent
- Александрequivalent
- Ἀλέξανδροςroot · Ancient Greek
- А́лістерUkrainian
- А́листерRussian
- ਐਲੇਸਟਰPunjabi
- الیسترPersian
- AlisterisLithuanian
- AlistersLatvian
- 알레이스터Korean
- アリステアJapanese
- אליסטרHebrew
- ΆλιστερGreek
- ალისტერGeorgian
- АлистърBulgarian
- ԱլիստերArmenian
- آلِيسْتَرArabic
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Alistair
- Alistair MacLeanScottish novelist (1922–1987)
- Ally McCoistScottish association football player and manager (born 1962)
- Alistair JohnstonCanadian soccer playerborn 1998
- Alistair DarlingBritish Labour Party politician (1953–2023)
- Alistair OvereemDutch mixed martial artist and kickboxerborn 1980
- Alistair BrownleeBritish triathleteborn 1988
- Alistair MacLeodCanadian author and professor of English (1936–2014)
- Alistair PetrieBritish actorborn 1970
- Alistair CookeBritish journalist and broadcaster (1908-2004)
Characters named Alistair: Ali G (fictional character created by Sacha Baron Cohen), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Doctor Who), Alistair Smythe (Comic book supervillain).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Alistair, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alastor
“helper and defender of mankind”
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