BoyScottish origin3 syllables
Alistair
Meaning: “Defender of men”
About the name Alistair
Alistair is a boy name with Scottish roots, meaning “Defender of men”.
It has a vintage feel. In 2025, Alistair ranked #897 for boys in the US, with 265 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2025. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Alistair were boys.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek, meaning “to defend” + “man”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Alistair”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #897
- In 2015
- #1023
- Babies in 2025
- 265
Popularity of Alistair, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Alistair
Names similar to Alistair
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.