Alister
Boy name · 304 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Alister: 304 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 19 births in 1977.
Alister is the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander, rooted in the Greek Alexandros, meaning "defender of men." Among its notable bearers are Alister MacKenzie, the celebrated golf course architect who designed Augusta National, and Alister Hardy, the British marine biologist who first proposed the aquatic ape hypothesis. While no place is directly named Alister, the root Alexander appears in towns like Alexandria (West Dunbartonshire) and countless global locations. A further note: Alister remains a beloved Scottish classic, often chosen to honour family tradition while offering a slightly softer alternative to the more formal Alexander—and it shares its origin with the popular Scottish surname MacAlister.
Boy 35 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 197719 babies
- Latest (2024)
- #7273 babies
- Total births
- 304since 1974
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y