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Alastair as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Alastair

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The baby name Alastair is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced AL-uh-stair,AL-uh-stər,/ˈæl.ə.stər/,/ˈæl.ə.stɛər/.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 3.0
Pronunciation: AL-uh-stair,AL-uh-stər,/ˈæl.ə.stər/,/ˈæl.ə.stɛər/

What is the meaning of the name Alastair ?

The baby name Alastair is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced AL-uh-stair,AL-uh-stər,/ˈæl.ə.stər/,/ˈæl.ə.stɛər/.

Alastair is in Origin.

Alastair is the Anglicised Scottish form of Gaelic Alasdair, the Celtic rendering of Alexander. Through Greek Alexandros - from alexein “to defend” + andros “man” - the name carries the meaning “defender of men,” sometimes expanded as “protector of mankind.” In Scots and Scottish Gaelic tradition it functions as a distinctly Highland expression of the pan-European Alexander.

Documented among medieval Scottish nobility and clan leaders, the name persisted in Scotland and later gained wider British use, seeing 19th‑century revival and steady 20th‑century visibility via figures such as actor Alastair Sim, novelist Alastair MacLean, and Prince Alastair of Connaught. Variant spellings include Alasdair (Gaelic), Alistair, Alister, and Alaster; short forms range from Al and Alec to the Scots Sandy. Cognate equivalents abroad include Alexander, Alexandre, Alessandro, and Alejandro.

Alastair has the following similar or variant Names

Alastair – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2020 #1 780
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
CY Boys 0 #130 2 3,473
BN Boys 0 #138 2 6,332
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
MT Boys 0 #177 3 4,064
AE 0 #180 8 10,220
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
NA Boys 0 #248 6 6,830
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
SG 0 #279 4 11,010
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
Canada Boys 2024 #296 11 2,588
JP Boys 0 #299 5 7,909
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
HK 0 #354 4 8,483
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
France Boys 2019 #392 3 2,886
ZA 0 #412 36 14,421
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
HK Boys 0 #507 21 12,905
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
SG Boys 0 #641 57 17,960
CL Boys 0 #698 3 13,390
QA Boys 0 #739 5 18,093
United States Boys 2024 #834 59 7,044
OM Boys 0 #913 6 17,948
Spain Boys 0 #915 16 5,610
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
NL Boys 0 #937 15 5,873
CO Boys 0 #981 1 15,656
ZA Boys 0 #995 184 25,619
NG Boys 0 #1,000 2 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,030 4 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,037 3 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,078 15 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,084 28 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,232 5 25,928
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,458 14 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,690 2 28,008

Alastair is popular in 46 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States
Ireland
France

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People also ask about Alastair

Alastair is predominantly a boy's name.
Alastair is a 3 syllable name, pronounced AL-uh-stair,AL-uh-stər,/ˈæl.ə.stər/,/ˈæl.ə.stɛər/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Alasdair, Alistair, Alister, Allister, Alastar and Allistair.
Yes, very popular — Alastair ranked #1 in Ireland in 2020, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Alastair ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2020).
Alastair's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2010 to #1 in 2020 in Ireland.