Alistair
Boy name · #899 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Alistair? In official American birth records, Alistair has been tracked continuously since 1956, giving it 69 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 265 baby boys were named Alistair, placing it at #899 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1023, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,792 boys born in 2025 was named Alistair.
The 69-year story
Alistair first appears in the Social Security records in 1956, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 265 babies and a rank of #897. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Alistair per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alistair against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alistair in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Alistair is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Alistair will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Alistair is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alistair is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Alistair is most common in CO (0.4 per 1,000), MO (0.4 per 1,000), GA (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Alistair is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Alistair
Statistically, parents drawn to Alistair tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alastair, Zyair, Ahmir, Adler, and Zubair.
AlastairZyairAhmirAdlerZubairZahirDamirKabir
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alistair | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 265 | #897 |
| 2024 | 257 | #909 |
| 2023 | 250 | #921 |
| 2022 | 248 | #929 |
| 2021 | 255 | #901 |
| 2020 | 226 | #961 |
| 2019 | 221 | #968 |
| 2018 | 205 | #1009 |
| 2017 | 225 | #929 |
| 2016 | 247 | #885 |
| 2015 | 198 | #1023 |
| 2014 | 179 | #1080 |
| 2013 | 132 | #1305 |
| 2012 | 126 | #1346 |
| 2011 | 108 | #1495 |
| 2010 | 81 | #1806 |
| 2009 | 90 | #1717 |
| 2008 | 68 | #2039 |
| 2007 | 71 | #1972 |
| 2006 | 53 | #2348 |
| 2005 | 42 | #2614 |
| 2004 | 31 | #3158 |
| 2003 | 23 | #3732 |
| 2002 | 26 | #3349 |
| 2001 | 21 | #3842 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Alistair?
In official American birth records, the name Alistair first appeared in 1956 (over 69 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 69 years.
Is Alistair a popular boy name?
Alistair ranked #899 among boys in 2025 with 265 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1023.
When was the name Alistair most popular?
Alistair peaked in 2025, when 265 American boys received the name (ranked #897 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Alistair?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,792 newborn American boys was named Alistair. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.