Given name
Allistair
“helper and defender of mankind”
Allistair is a variant of Alastair. In Scottish use, Alastair carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Allistair is a variant of Alastair. In Scottish use, Alastair carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2006. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Allistair through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 90
- 90 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 11 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #10,757 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −29%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 10,757 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 11 in 2019. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 152 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.
Allistair’s family of names
Allistair has a related form in Alastair. In English usage, Allistair was borrowed from the Scottish Gaelic form Alasdair.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Allistair, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alaster
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Alastor
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Mackinnon
“the son of the fair one”
>99% boys
Odhran
“refers to a pale-green color”
>99% boys
Gallagher
“an eager helper”
>99% boys
Macintyre
“the son of the carpenter”
>99% boys
Macrae
“the son of Ray”
>99% boys
Rafferty
“a prosperous lady; wealthy” · “one who wields prosperity”
>99% boys