boy's name
Alister
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 2,701
Northern Ireland
#288
1997 births
Alister is a boy's name with 3 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 97 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 2022, when 141 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 34,180 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1924.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Alister over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 |
| 1980s | 48 |
| 1990s | 64 |
| 2000s | 170 |
| 2010s | 741 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 636 |
How popular is Alister?
In 2025, Alister was given to 97 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Alister is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Alister
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Alister also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Alister over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Alister
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Alister — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Alister
How popular is the name Alister?
In 2025, Alister was given to 97 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Alister a girl's or a boy's name?
Alister is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Alister?
Alister has 3 syllables.
When was Alister most popular?
Alister peaked in 2022, when 141 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Alister a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Alister currently ranks #762 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.