Allistor
Variant spelling of Alistair, a Scottish masculine name potentially derived from Greek meaning "defending man".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Allistor. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Allistor today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Allistor births was 2021 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Allistor. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Allistor. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2021
5 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#12,229
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Allistor: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Allistor by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Allistor during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Allistor
The name Allistor is of Scottish Gaelic origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is a variant spelling of the more common name Alexander, which itself is derived from the Greek name Alexandros, meaning "defender of men."
In its earliest form, the name was likely rendered as Alistair or Alastair in Scottish Gaelic. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Allistor, which reflects the influence of English orthography on the original Gaelic name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Allistor can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, an individual named Alastair is mentioned as a participant in a battle against the Vikings in the year 1014 CE.
Throughout the centuries, the name Allistor has been borne by several notable figures. One of the most famous was Allistor MacDonald (1598-1647), a Scottish clan chief who played a significant role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, leading his clan in support of the Royalist cause.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Allistor Mackenzie (1694-1761), a Scottish explorer and fur trader who played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Hudson's Bay Company's operations in what is now western Canada. His explorations and encounters with indigenous peoples helped shape the early history of the region.
In the 19th century, Allistor Munro (1834-1898) was a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as the Premier of Victoria from 1890 to 1892. He played a key role in the development of Australian federation and was a strong advocate for workers' rights and social reforms.
Moving into the 20th century, Allistor Gillespie (1915-1999) was a Scottish-born Canadian mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of numerical analysis. He played a crucial role in the development of early computer programming languages and algorithms.
Finally, Allistor MacEwan (1921-2008) was a Canadian writer, scholar, and professor who was instrumental in promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of Scotland in North America. His works, including poetry, novels, and literary criticism, celebrated the Scottish diaspora and its impact on Canadian culture.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Allistor throughout history, each making their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural heritage associated with this Scottish Gaelic name.
People
Allistor + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Allistor as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Allistor: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Allistor?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Allistor going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Allistor a common name?
We classify Allistor as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Allistor most popular?
The single biggest year for Allistor was 2021, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Allistor is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Allistor in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Allistor a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Allistor in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Allistor still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Allistor in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Allistor can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Allistor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.