Alistair
/AA-L-IH-S-T-AA-IH-R/
Defender of men — the Scottish form of Alexander, from Scottish Gaelic Alasdair and ultimately Greek Alexandros. The Gaelic form stands distinct from English Alexander, marking a Highland heritage. A strong, courtly Scottish name carrying the ancient Greek ideal of one who stands as protector and shield for his people.
See Alistair scored for your familyMeaning & origin
Alistair is a boy's name of Scottish origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Defender of men — the Scottish form of Alexander, from Scottish Gaelic Alasdair and ultimately Greek Alexandros. The Gaelic form stands distinct from English Alexander, marking a Highland heritage. A strong, courtly Scottish name carrying the ancient Greek ideal of one who stands as protector and shield for his people." and belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.
Common among Scottish, British, American families, Alistair carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Numerology of Alistair
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Alistair resonates in either tradition.
How Alistair sounds
NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Alistair breaks down into 8 phonemes: /AA-L-IH-S-T-AA-IH-R/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Alistair — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
The six signals, applied to Alistair
NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Alistair maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.
Names similar to Alistair
If Alistair resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian boy names, common in Scottish families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian boy names from the Courage cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Alistair
Common questions about Alistair
What does the name Alistair mean?
Alistair means "Defender of men — the Scottish form of Alexander, from Scottish Gaelic Alasdair and ultimately Greek Alexandros. The Gaelic form stands distinct from English Alexander, marking a Highland heritage. A strong, courtly Scottish name carrying the ancient Greek ideal of one who stands as protector and shield for his people.." It is a boy name of Scottish origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Alistair a boy or girl name?
Alistair is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Alistair?
Alistair is of Scottish origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among Scottish, British, American families.
What are common nicknames for Alistair?
Common short forms of Alistair include Ali.
What is the numerology of Alistair?
Alistair has a Pythagorean destiny number of 8 — material mastery and executive power.
See how Alistair scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — Alistair is waiting.
Get NameRoot — free