Alistair as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Alistair

What is the meaning of the name Alistair ?

The baby name Alistair is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced AL-iss-ter (/ˈælɪstər/),AL-iss-tair (/ˈælɪstɛər/).

Alistair is Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Alistair is the Anglicized Scottish form of Alasdair, itself the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of Alexander. It descends from Greek Alexandros, formed from alexein "to defend" and andros "man," yielding the enduring sense "defender of men" or "protector." The Alistair spelling sits alongside the widely used Scottish variant Alastair, both reflecting attempts to represent Gaelic sounds in English orthography.

Long rooted in Scotland, the name appears in medieval records tied to Gaelic-speaking clans and later spread through the British Isles. It gained broader currency in the 19th and 20th centuries as Scottish heritage names were revived, and today is familiar in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and, more modestly, the United States. Common spellings and cognates include Alasdair (Gaelic), Alastair/Alistair/Alister, and Alexander; short forms include Al and Ali, with Sandy used in Scotland for Alexander. The name blends courtly polish with rugged Highland associations.