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Alistair

Cute baby boy holding a red envelope lying next to fresh mandarin orange with a smiling face concept for the Chinese lunar new year celebration. Happy mixed-race Asian-German infant.

Alistair

Updated: by Stephanie Graham

Alistair is a baby name that sounds classically British, and for that reason, it actually is. The name has only been used popularly in America in the last five years, and it has not climbed that much in popularity. It is still solely on the top 1,000 list.

Meaning and Origin of the name Alistair:

Alistair is an English name for boys meaning “defending men” or “defender of the people.”

The name Alistair is the English version of the Scottish Gaelic name Alasdair, which is the Scottish version of the Latin name Alexander. Alexander is a name that dates back to ancient times in Greece and is the Latin version of the Greek name Aléxandros (meaning “defending men” or “protector of men”). Aléxandros combines the verb aléxein (meaning “to ward off, avert, defend”) and the noun anḗr (meaning “man”).

Symbolism of the name Alistair:

Alistair has the same meaning as the name Alasdair. Both, therefore, have a version of the meaning of the name Alexander, which is “defender of men.”

Nicknames for the name Alistair:

When coming up with a nickname for your baby, it's nice to have a list of options. That's why we compiled this list of nicknames for Alistair. We hope it helps you find the right nickname for your baby boy.

Style of the name Alistair:

Traditional

Gender of the name Alistair:

Alistair is a very British-sounding name for boys.

Pronunciation of the name Alistair:

AL-i-ster

Number of syllables in the name Alistair:

Three

Emotion evoked from the name Alistair:

Alistair is a baby name that sounds vintage and European. It has a very formal and pompous feel.

Alternative spellings for the name Alistair:

  • Allistair
  • Alyster
  • Alystair
  • Allystair
  • Allyster
  • Alister
  • Allister

Popularity of the name Alistair:

Alistair has only been on the Social Security top 1,000 list for four years. It ranked as a top 1,000 name from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2019 to 2020. It has not improved much, however, especially when considering it was still rank 963 in 2020.

Great middle names for Alistair and their meanings:

  • Rasmus (beloved)
  • Owen (young warrior, noble)
  • Xenos (newcomer, stranger)
  • Orion (rising in the sky, dawn)
  • Darcy (dark)
  • Hadley (heather meadow)
  • Ethan (strong, solid, firm)
  • Roan (little redhead)
  • Layton (meadow settlement)

Famous people with the name Alistair:

  • Alistair Griffin (singer, “Blinding Lights”)
  • Alistair Overeem (MMA fighter)
  • Alistair Mackay (polar explorer)
  • Alistair Brownlee (triathlete)
  • Alistair MacLeod (novelist, “No Great Mischief”)
  • Alistair MacLean (novelist, “Ice Station Zebra”)
  • Alistair Smythe (The Ultimate Spider from Spider-Man comics)
  • Alistair Theirin (character from “Dragon Age”)
  • Alistair Graham (character named Ali G by Sacha Cohen)
  • Alistair Crane (character from “Passions”)
  • Alistair Oh (character from “The 39 Clues”)
  • Alistair Ryle (character from “The Riot Club”)

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Onjira Leibe/Shutterstock.com.

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