The first name Aleister
A boy’s name from Scottish Gaelic meaning “to defend”, “man”.
Pronounced /ˈæl.i.stɚ/ 3 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Aleister means “to defend”, “man” in Scottish Gaelic.
From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, from Norman French Alexandre or Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”).
A form of Alastair.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Aleister last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2018, with 4 births (#3,959).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Aleister with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Aleister at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 42 boys born in the United States were named Aleister, the 2,943rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2020, when 69 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Aleister in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Aleister
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Aleister CrowleyEnglish occultist (1875–1947)
More Scottish Gaelic boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Aleister mean?
- Aleister means “to defend”, “man” in Scottish Gaelic.
- What is the origin of the name Aleister?
- From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, from Norman French Alexandre or Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”).
- How popular is the name Aleister?
- In 2024, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Aleister, ranking 5,119th. Its peak was 2018, with 4 births.
- Is Aleister a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 653 US babies named Aleister since 1880 were boys.
- When was Aleister most popular?
- 2020 in the United States, when 69 babies were named Aleister, its highest rank at 2,046th.
- How do you pronounce Aleister?
- Aleister is /ˈæl.i.stɚ/, 3 syllables.
- What name is Aleister a form of?
- Aleister is a form of Alastair.