Alistair is the anglicized spelling of the Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, the Gaelic form of Alexander, which comes from Greek and means "defender of the people". For generations it was a quintessentially Scottish name, and it carries a courteous, slightly bookish air in the United States. Alistair first entered the top 1000 in 2016 at number 885, which remains its peak, has held a place since 2019 and ranks 897th in 2025.