The first name Alistair
A boy’s name from Scottish Gaelic meaning “to defend”, “man”.
Pronounced /ˈæl.ɪ.stɚ/ 3 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Alistair means “to defend”, “man” in Scottish Gaelic.
From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, from Norman Alexandre or Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 75 boys were named Alistair, making it the 517th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 294 births (#133).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alistair with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Alistair at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 265 boys born in the United States were named Alistair, the 897th most popular boys’ name that year.
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.
Alistair in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Alistair in French too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Alistair
16 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Alistair JohnstonCanadian soccer player, born 1998
- Alistair DarlingBritish Labour Party politician (1953–2023)
- Alistair OvereemDutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer, born 1980
- Alistair BrownleeBritish triathlete, born 1988
- Alistair PetrieBritish actor, born 1970
- Alistair MacLeodCanadian author and professor of English (1936–2014)
- Alistair CookeBritish journalist and broadcaster (1908-2004)
- Alistair HorneBritish writer and historian (1925-2017)
- Alistair Cameron CrombieAustralian zoologist, historian of science (1915-1996)
- Alistair DonohueAustralian Para-cyclist, born 1995
- Alistair CockburnAmerican computer programmer, born 1966
- Alistair CaseyBadminton player, born 1981
More Scottish Gaelic boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Alistair mean?
- Alistair means “to defend”, “man” in Scottish Gaelic.
- What is the origin of the name Alistair?
- From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, from Norman 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 Alistair?
- In 2025, 75 boys born in England and Wales were named Alistair, ranking 517th. Its peak was 1996, with 294 births.
- What are nicknames for Alistair?
- Common nicknames for Alistair include Ali.
- Is Alistair a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 4,088 US babies named Alistair since 1880 were boys.
- When was Alistair most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 265 babies were named Alistair, its highest rank at 897th.
- How do you pronounce Alistair?
- Alistair is /ˈæl.ɪ.stɚ/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Alistair?
- Alaster.