Total births
4,088
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.
- #913
- among boys today
- 4,088
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
4,088 babies have been named Alistair since 1956, making it today's #913 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Alistair recorded 4,088 times among boys since 1956, holding rank #913 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.
- #913 among boys today
- 4,088 born since 1956
- 2010s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alistair is currently the #913 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 4,088 born since 1956, peaking in the 2010s.
- #913
- among boys today
- 4,088
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Alistair vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#913
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Alistair was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
265 babies were named Alistair in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Alistair compares
4,088 Top 14% higher than 86% of 14,294 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 (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,088 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 265 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#913
Active since
1956
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Alistair's total US births 10.9%
Even split
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? ▼
Alistair has been given to 4,088 babies in the U.S. since 1956, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #913 as of the latest data. 265 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Alistair most popular? ▼
Alistair was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,722 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Alistair most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alistair are California (447 births), Texas (261 births), New York (196 births).
How long has the name Alistair been used? ▼
Alistair has been recorded in Social Security data since 1956, spanning 70 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Alistair? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ali, Alijah, Alice, Alister, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Ali Boy
#323 34,383 births
Alijah Boy
#429 14,231 births
Alice Boy
#10956 1,959 births
Alister Boy
#1655 1,659 births
Alias Boy
#1897 1,201 births
Compare Alistair side by side: Alistair vs Ali Alistair vs Alijah Alistair vs Alice
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alistair
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alistair: #913 Boys' Name - 4,088 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alistair. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.