Alister: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “defender of men”
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic
- Say it
- AL-ih-ster · 3 syllables
- Used for
- Boys
Variant spelling of Alistair, the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander. It ultimately derives from Greek Alexandros.
How popular is Alister?
Babies named Alister in 2024102
2024 rank#1,654 boys
Peak year2022
Total US babies since 18801,566
Alister is rising: use over the last five years is 2.3× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Alister
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Alister questions
What does the name Alister mean?
Alister means "defender of men". It comes from Scottish Gaelic. Variant spelling of Alistair, the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander. It ultimately derives from Greek Alexandros.
Is Alister a boy or girl name?
Alister is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Alister?
102 US babies were named Alister in 2024. Its peak year was 2022.
How do you pronounce Alister?
Alister is usually pronounced AL-ih-ster.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.