Boys' name · since 1956
Alistair
Since 1956, U.S. Social Security records show 4,088 babies named Alistair, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,047 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #899 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,088
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
4,088 babies have been named Alistair since 1956, making it today's #899 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Alistair recorded 4,088 times among boys since 1956, holding rank #899 nationally today, ahead of 94% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- #2,047 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #899 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 4,088 born since 1956
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Alistair ranks #2,047 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #899 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 4,088 born since 1956, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,047 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #899 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,088
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
Alistair's 4,088 recorded births place it above 95.49% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
34 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Alistair compares
4,088 Top 14% higher than 86% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Alistair's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alistair | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,088 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 265 | 34 | 22,252 |
Alistair's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Alistair splits its recorded history at 1996: 92% of all births land in the more recent half, 8% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1969 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 265 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Alistair popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 265
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Alistair by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,722 births, 42% of the file).
2010s was Alistair's strongest decade.
1,722 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Alistair births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 7
1950s
7 births
- 1960s 11
1960s
11 births
- 1970s 96
1970s
96 births
- 1980s 112
1980s
112 births
- 1990s 190
1990s
190 births
- 2000s 449
2000s
449 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,722 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,501 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,722 births (42% of all-time use).
How Alistair compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Alistair's total volume
Alistair by state
Where Alistair concentrates geographically, total births since 1956
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 447 | 10.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 261 | 6.4% |
| #3 | New York | | 196 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Florida | | 139 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 134 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 113 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 107 | 2.6% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 106 | 2.6% |
447 of 4,088 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Alistair appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alistair? ▼
Where does Alistair sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Alistair most popular? ▼
Where is Alistair most popular? ▼
How long has the name Alistair been used? ▼
What names are similar to Alistair? ▼
What to do with Alistair's data
- Alistair's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,722 total births) through the 2020s (1,501) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Alistairs (447 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Alistair
Nearby Names Like Alistair
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alistair
Compare Alistair side by side: Alistair vs Ali Alistair vs Alijah Alistair vs Alice
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alistair
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Alistair: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~69 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1956–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Alistair draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.