Alister
Meaning
"defender of men"
Origin: Greek via Gaelic
Cultural Roots
Quick Stats
- Popularity Rank
- #1,650
- Total SSA Count
- 102
- Syllables
- 3
- Formality
- Moderate
- Nicknames
- Al, Ali, Alis
Baby Name Comparison — 2026
"defender of men"
Origin: Greek via Gaelic
"olive tree"
Origin: Latin
Oliver is more popular, ranked #3 vs #1650 for Alister.
Historical US popularity rank — lower number means more popular.
Historical trend data not available for this comparison.
Names that pair well as siblings.
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Oliver is more popular, ranked #3 compared to Alister at #1650 in the United States.
Alister means "defender of men" (Greek via Gaelic origin). Oliver means "olive tree" (Latin origin).
Alister is primarily a boy name. Oliver is primarily a boy name.