Alister
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- AL-ih-ster
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,742 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,688 for boys
Alister is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “defender of the people”. In 2025 it ranked 2,742nd for boys in the UK (8 babies) and 1,688th for boys in the US (97 babies).
What does Alister mean?
Greek: spelling of Alistair, the Scottish form of Alexander
“defender of the people”
A spelling of Alistair, the anglicised form of Alasdair, the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Alister a girl's or a boy's name?
Alister is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 8 boys in the UK and 97 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Alister in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,742among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 8about 1 in 37,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 50% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 8 boys in the UK were named Alister, making it the 2,742nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,562nd. Its busiest year was 1996, with 44 boys.
Half of all the boys named Alister in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,658th in England and Wales.
Alister in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #2,742 |
| 2024 | 9 | #2,515 |
| 2023 | 4 | #4,335 |
| 2022 | 11 | #2,143 |
| 2021 | 9 | #2,434 |
| 2020 | 8 | #2,562 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 6 | #3,162 |
| 2017 | 6 | #3,191 |
| 2016 | 10 | #2,287 |
| 2015 | 9 | #2,425 |
| 2014 | 9 | #2,378 |
| 2013 | 7 | #2,792 |
| 2012 | 12 | #1,956 |
| 2011 | 10 | #2,158 |
| 2010 | 16 | #1,585 |
| 2009 | 10 | #2,084 |
| 2008 | 13 | #1,696 |
| 2007 | 10 | #1,987 |
| 2006 | 16 | #1,369 |
| 2005 | 21 | #1,098 |
| 2004 | 19 | #1,110 |
| 2003 | 14 | #1,272 |
| 2002 | 17 | #1,067 |
| 2001 | 18 | #978 |
| 2000 | 24 | #785 |
| 1999 | 17 | #959 |
| 1998 | 28 | #688 |
| 1997 | 27 | #671 |
| 1996 | 44 | #470 |
How popular is Alister in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,688among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 97about 1 in 18,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 2% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 97 boys in the US were named Alister, making it the 1,688th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,556th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 141 boys. It first appears in the records in 1924.
Half of all the boys named Alister in the US since 1880 were born between 2012 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 138 boys in the US were given Alister or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,228, up from #1,688 for this spelling alone.
- Alister 97
- Allister 41
Alister in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 | #1,688 |
| 2024 | 102 | #1,650 |
| 2023 | 99 | #1,701 |
| 2022 | 141 | #1,330 |
| 2021 | 91 | #1,763 |
| 2020 | 106 | #1,556 |
| 2019 | 93 | #1,698 |
| 2018 | 93 | #1,687 |
| 2017 | 110 | #1,510 |
| 2016 | 102 | #1,599 |
| 2015 | 82 | #1,815 |
| 2014 | 60 | #2,228 |
| 2013 | 57 | #2,249 |
| 2012 | 52 | #2,414 |
| 2011 | 57 | #2,260 |
| 2010 | 30 | #3,530 |
| 2009 | 30 | #3,549 |
| 2008 | 30 | #3,558 |
| 2007 | 22 | #4,373 |
| 2006 | 19 | #4,671 |
| 2005 | 16 | #5,029 |
| 2004 | 13 | #5,807 |
| 2003 | 12 | #5,870 |
| 2002 | 8 | #7,636 |
| 2001 | 14 | #5,135 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9,104 |
| 1999 | 5 | #9,905 |
| 1998 | 10 | #5,834 |
| 1997 | 11 | #5,282 |
| 1996 | 8 | #6,489 |
| 1995 | 7 | #6,985 |
| 1994 | 10 | #5,446 |
| 1993 | 6 | #7,631 |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 7 | #6,408 |
| 1989 | 7 | #6,222 |
| 1988 | 11 | #4,157 |
| 1987 | 7 | #5,453 |
| 1986 | 6 | #5,920 |
| 1985 | 5 | #6,517 |
| 1984 | 6 | #5,557 |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 6 | #5,617 |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 5 | #4,345 |
Nicknames for Alister
Names like Alister
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Alexander Asher Archer Oliver Atlas Christopher Theo Luke Albie Xander Evander Liam
Other spellings of Alister
Names related to Alister
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Lucas Sofia Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie Lainey
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Alister: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/alister, updated 20 October 2026.