Alister

Meaning of Alister

Alister is an Anglicised cousin of the Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, which in turn traces back to the Greek Alexandros—“defender of mankind.” That linguistic itinerary, spanning Classical Greece, Highland Scotland, and today’s Anglo-American nursery, lends the name a pedigree that feels worldly without sounding overwrought. In the United States it occupies a statistical middle ground: roughly 100 boys a year receive it, a level that keeps Alister off playground repeat while signaling steady, if quiet, growth—its recent peak of 140 births in 2022 being a case in point. Pronounced AL-uh-stur, the name is intuitive enough to spare its bearer a lifetime of phonetic coaching, yet uncommon enough to pique curiosity. Cultural echoes range from novelist Alistair MacLean’s stoic heroes to the more flamboyant Aleister Crowley; the single-“l” spelling politely steers between those extremes, offering parents a subtly distinctive choice for a son they hope will stand up for others—preferably with less drama than either inspiration.