Alistair

Meaning: Defender of mankind
Origin: Scottish Gaelic (from Greek)

Boy's name · #897 in the US (2025) · Trending

Popularity over time

Alistair is moving up the charts. First recorded in 1956, it stood at #897 in 2025; about 4,100 boys have been named Alistair along the way.

Across the states

See where Alistair is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 25 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Alistair ranks in other countries and regions.

#301 in Scotland (2025) · #512 in Ireland (2025) · #517 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,270 in France (2025) · #1,956 in Switzerland (2025) · #860 in Canada (2024).

Famous Alistairs

Alistair MacLean — Scottish novelist (1922–1987)
Alistair Johnston — Canadian association football player
Alistair Darling — British Labour Party politician (1953–2023)
Alistair Overeem — Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer
Alistair Brownlee — British triathlete

In stories & tradition

Alistair (Ali G) — Da Ali G Show (TV series)
Alistair Smythe — The Amazing Spider-Man Annual
Alistair — Dragon Age: Origins (video game)

What Alistairs become

Among 316 notable people named Alistair:

Sports figures appear 1.37× more often than among typical names — e.g. Alistair Johnston, Canadian association football player.

Similar names: Kallen · Alastair · Macklin · Alister · Evander · Calder

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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