Alister
Boy name · #1692 in 2025 · Uniqueness 72/100
In 2025, 97 baby boys were named Alister, placing it at #1692 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1815, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,557 boys born in 2025 was named Alister.
Babies named Alister per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 101-year story
Alister first appears in the Social Security records in 1924, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 141 babies and a rank of #1330. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alister against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alister in class?
Alister scores 72 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Alister will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Alister is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alister is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Alisters were CA (14), TX (11), IN (5), OH (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Alister
Statistically, parents drawn to Alister tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Allister, Aleister, Winter, Jupiter, and Slater.
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Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alister | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 | #1688 |
| 2024 | 102 | #1650 |
| 2023 | 99 | #1701 |
| 2022 | 141 | #1330 |
| 2021 | 91 | #1763 |
| 2020 | 106 | #1556 |
| 2019 | 93 | #1698 |
| 2018 | 93 | #1687 |
| 2017 | 110 | #1510 |
| 2016 | 102 | #1599 |
| 2015 | 82 | #1815 |
| 2014 | 60 | #2230 |
| 2013 | 57 | #2250 |
| 2012 | 52 | #2415 |
| 2011 | 57 | #2261 |
| 2010 | 30 | #3531 |
| 2009 | 30 | #3551 |
| 2008 | 30 | #3561 |
| 2007 | 22 | #4375 |
| 2006 | 19 | #4675 |
| 2005 | 16 | #5034 |
| 2004 | 13 | #5813 |
| 2003 | 12 | #5877 |
| 2002 | 8 | #7643 |
| 2001 | 14 | #5142 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Alister a popular boy name?
Alister ranked #1692 among boys in 2025 with 97 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1815.
When was the name Alister most popular?
Alister peaked in 2022, when 141 American boys received the name (ranked #1330 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Alister?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,557 newborn American boys was named Alister. It scores 72/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.