Boy name · Greek
Alistair
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: defender of menAlistair is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Defender of men
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- AL-iss-ter
Meaning and origin of Alistair
As a boy's name, Alistair comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It is used in English and Scottish.
Say it AL-iss-ter. In Scottish Gaelic, say AL-is-ter. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Alistair on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Alistair on 8 lists.
“Scottish form of Alexander, meaning defending men”
From Boy cat names, old-fashioned boy cat names
“Scottish form of Alexander, polished and refined”
From Boy dog names, distinguished names for gentleman dogs
“Defender of men; Greek. Scottish form of Alexander”
From Boy middle names, unique boy middle names
“Defender of men; Greek. Scottish form of Alexander”
From Classic boy names, classic Irish, Scottish and Welsh boy names
“The Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander”
From Highland cattle names, scottish bull names for boys
“English spelling of Alasdair: defender of men. Say AL-is-ter.”
From Scottish boy names, highland names in English spelling
“Defender of men; Scottish form of Alexander. Say AL-iss-ter”
From Unique boy names, unique vintage boy names
“Scottish form of Alexander, meaning defender of men”
From Witch names, male witch and warlock names
How popular is Alistair?
- US rank in 2025
- #897
- 265 babies, 155 per million boys
- Best rank
- #885 in 2016
- Most babies: 265 in 2025
- Babies since 1956
- At least 4,088
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 6 per million |
| 1980s | 6 per million |
| 1990s | 10 per million |
| 2000s | 22 per million |
| 2010s | 92 per million |
| 2020s | 145 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #885 | #929 | #1,009 | #968 | #961 | #902 | #929 | #921 | #909 | #897 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Alistair
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AlasdairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlastarDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlejandroDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlekosDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlessandroDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- ÁlexDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlexandreDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlexandrosDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AllyDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SachaDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
Names spelled like Alistair
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AltairThe flyer (Arabic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- SandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AleksandraDefender of the people (Greek, girl)
- AlexaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlexandrinaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- SandyDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SashaDefender of men (Greek, unisex)
- XanderShort form of Alexander, defender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlejandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
Middle names for Alistair
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Greek
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
- AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
- CyrilLordly (Greek, boy)
Alistair: common questions
What does the name Alistair mean?
Alistair comes from Greek and means "defender of men".
Is Alistair a boy or girl name?
Alistair is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Alistair come from?
Alistair comes from Greek and means "defender of men". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How do you pronounce Alistair?
Say AL-iss-ter. In Scottish Gaelic, say AL-is-ter. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Alistair?
Alistair ranked #897 in the US in 2025, with 265 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Alistair?
Forms of Alistair with the same meaning and origin include Alasdair (Scottish), Alastar (Irish), Alejandro (Spanish), Alekos (Greek) and Alessandro (Italian).
What middle names go with Alistair?
Middle names that flow well with Alistair include David, Glenn, Heath, Jude and Lance. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.