Aleister
Meaningdefender of men · Scottish form of Alistair
- US rank
- #2,941
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #2,046 in 2020
42 babies were named Aleister in the US in 2025. It has dropped 895 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1997–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Aleister you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Aleister
Aleister Crowley
English occultist (1875–1947)
Choose Aleister and your child shares a first name with Aleister Crowley, an English occultist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Aleister, like who?” Aleister Crowley's Wikipedia article is available in 78 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Aleister Crowley on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Aleister Crowley, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 40,650 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Aleister, 42 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Aleister would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAleister first shows up in US birth records in 1997, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 28 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2020, when it reached #2,046.
- Then vs nowAleister is 5.3× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 217,391 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 40,650.
- TrendAleister has slipped 895 places over the last five years and now sits at #2,941. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningAleister is a Scottish form of Alistair, which means “defender of men”.
About the name Aleister
Aleister is a boy name of Scottish origin meaning “defender of men”. It has 8 letters and 3 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-ter”. US birth records list Aleister for boys from 1997 to 2025, in 26 of those 29 years. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked #2,046 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,941, with 42 babies.
Origin:Scottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.1 | 937,500 boys |
| 2000s | 4.0 | 248,139 boys |
| 2010s | 15 | 65,963 boys |
| 2020s | 27 | 36,496 boys |
More Scottish boy names
- Boy name: Andrew · manly
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
- Boy name: Ian · God is gracious
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Boy name: Archer · bowman
- Boy name: Callum · dove
- Boy name: Graham · gravelly homestead
Questions about the name Aleister
What does the name Aleister mean?
Aleister means “defender of men” in Scottish, as a form of Alistair.
What is the origin of the name Aleister?
Aleister has Scottish roots in our records. Other Scottish names include Andrew, Cameron, Ian.
Is Aleister a boy or girl name?
Aleister is a boy name.
How popular is the name Aleister?
Aleister ranked #2,941 for US boys in 2025, given to 42 babies. Its best year was 2020 (#2,046).