Name meaning & stats
Alister
Alister means “defender of man” (Scottish Gaelic origin). 1,659 US babies since 1940, peak 2022. Notable Alisters are 1.4× over-represented as politicians.
What it means
“defender of man”
Scottish GaelicSpelling of Alistair
Alistair around the world
- Алистер · Russian
- Алістер · Ukrainian
- أليستير · Arabic
- アリステア · Japanese
- 阿利斯泰尔 · Chinese
- 앨리스터 · Korean
- Alastair · English
- Alexandr · Czech
- Alexandru · Romanian
- Alasdair
Famous Alistairs
- Alistair MacLean · Scottish novelist (1922–1987)
- Alistair Johnston · Canadian soccer player
- Alistair Darling · British Labour Party politician (1953–2023)
In US birth records
Peak year: 2022
1,659 US babies were named Alister between 1940 and 2025.
Where Alisters end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Politician | 1.4× | Low · 3 people |
| Rugby player | 1.3× | Low · 2 people |
| Screenwriter | 1.1× | Low · 1 people |
| Track athlete | 1.2× | Low · 1 people |
Among notable men who are politicians, Alisters show up 1.4× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people born 1940–2005 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
Other spellings
1 in 6 Alistairs spell it Alister
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 2022)