Fun Facts About the Name Alister
- More than 1 thousand babies named Alister: U.S. records list 1,663 babies given the name Alister from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 girls received the name Alister - about 1 girl for every 332 boys.
What Does the Name Alister Mean?
Alister is a Scottish and English form of Alexander, meaning "defender of men" or "protector of men." The name ultimately comes from the Greek Alexandros, a compound of alexein, "to defend" or "ward off," and anēr (genitive andros), "man." In Scottish Gaelic, Alexander became Alasdair; Alister is an anglicized spelling of that Gaelic form, closely related to Alistair and Alastair. The literal Greek sense is closer to "defending man" or "man-defender," while the customary English meaning is "defender of men."
Alister Name History & Origins
The name entered Scotland through the Latin Alexander, which was borne by several medieval Scottish kings, including Alexander I, Alexander II, and Alexander III. In the Gaelic-speaking Highlands, this became Alasdair, and from that Gaelic form came anglicized spellings such as Alastair, Alistair, and Alister. The personal name also lies behind the Scottish surname MacAlister, from Gaelic Mac Alasdair, "son of Alasdair."
Alister has been used as a given name in Scotland and in English-speaking countries as a variant of Alistair and Alasdair. It is not a separate ancient name but one of several English and Scots spellings of the same Gaelic name. The spelling with -er reflects an English-language rendering rather than a distinct Gaelic original.
How Popular is the Name Alister?
Alister has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2022. Its best rank was #1,340 in 2022.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | #15,801 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,689 | 97 | 0.0057% |
| 2024 | #1,648 | 102 | 0.0059% |
| 2023 | #1,701 | 99 | 0.0058% |
| 2022 | #1,340 | 140 | 0.0080% |
| 2021 | #1,764 | 91 | 0.0052% |
| 2020 | #1,554 | 106 | 0.0061% |
| 2019 | #1,699 | 93 | 0.0052% |
| 2018 | #1,687 | 93 | 0.0051% |
| 2017 | #1,509 | 110 | 0.0059% |
| 2016 | #1,599 | 102 | 0.0054% |
| 2015 | #1,815 | 82 | 0.0043% |
| 2014 | #2,232 | 60 | 0.0031% |
| 2013 | #2,251 | 57 | 0.0030% |
| 2012 | #2,416 | 52 | 0.0027% |
| 2011 | #2,261 | 57 | 0.0030% |
| 2010 | #3,531 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2009 | #3,552 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #3,564 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #4,379 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #4,686 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #5,042 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #5,824 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #5,888 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #7,673 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #5,150 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #9,137 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,973 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #5,853 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #5,295 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #6,519 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #7,011 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #5,465 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #7,668 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #6,429 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #6,243 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #4,170 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #5,474 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #5,949 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #6,558 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #5,584 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #5,648 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1924 | #4,365 | 5 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Alister Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Alister's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Alister's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.