Alistair means defender of the people — the Scottish form of Alexander, from the Greek. Alistair IS how Scotland says Alexander the Great. Alistair Cooke IS the most beloved British-American broadcaster — Letter from America ran for 58 years. Three syllables of how-Scotland-says-Alexander, 58-years-broadcasting, and Scottish-people's-defender.
Alistair IS how Scotland says Alexander the Great.
Alistair Cooke broadcast Letter from America for 58 YEARS.
Three syllables with a refined, Scottish sound: AL-is-tair.
The meaning defender of the people is heroically Scottish.
The most authentically Scottish Alexander.
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The vibe of Alistair
defender of peopleScottishAlexanderGreekCookeLetter from America58 yearsbroadcasting
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Origin & history of Alistair
Greek Alexandros→Scottish Alistair
1
Greek / Scottish roots
Alistair IS the Scottish Alexander meaning people's defender. Cooke broadcast Letter from America for 58 years.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Scottish; Alistair Cooke (1908–2004).
3
Today
Alistair remains a beloved choice, ranking #943 in the US. 3,822 babies have been named Alistair since 1956.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Alistair?
2024peak year
Alistair first appears in the U.S. registration record in 1956. Its popularity climbed over the following decades. In 2024, 257 babies received the name (ranked #905). Today it sits around #943, with roughly 233 babies named Alistair each year. Alistair's usage has held roughly steady recently. In total, around 3,822 babies have been registered with this name since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Alistair's Life Path 7 is the seeker's number — 58-year seeking. People named Alistair tend to be refined, Scottish, and gifted at being the Scottish Alexander for 58 years.
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Scottish Alexander 58 years
✦
Cooke-Letter
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Defender-people
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Refined-Scottish
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Most-authentic
A1
L3
I9
S1
T2
A1
I9
R9
Sum: 35 → Life path 8
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Personality of Alistair
💼
Built for success
They don't dream of achievement — they plan for it.
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Commanding presence
They walk in and people notice.
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Strategic mind
Always three moves ahead.
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Unbreakable
Setbacks sharpen them. Resilience is in their DNA.
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