2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Allister
A Scottish surname derived from the given name Alexander or its pet form Alister.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Allister. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Allister surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Allister with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Allister in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Allister, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (13.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Allister
The surname Allister is of Scottish origin, derived from the name Alexander. It is a variant spelling of the patronymic name Alisandre, which means "defender of men" in Greek. The name first emerged in the 12th century in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named Alysandre de Yle is mentioned. The "de Yle" part of the name suggests that this individual was from the Isle of Islay, an island off the west coast of Scotland.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Alistair, Alester, and Alschunder in local Scottish records and charters. These variations reflect the diverse dialects and spellings used in different regions of Scotland at the time.
The name Allister gained prominence in the 17th century with the rise of the Clan Macalister, a branch of the powerful Clan Donald. The Macalisters were a prominent family in the Scottish Hebrides, particularly on the islands of Arran and Kintyre.
One notable figure with this surname was Sir Archibald Allister (1670-1744), a Scottish politician and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1737 to 1739. Another prominent individual was General Archibald Allister (1792-1867), a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.
In the literary world, the name is associated with the Scottish writer William Allister (1924-2008), known for his novels and short stories depicting life in the Highlands and Islands. His works, such as "The Watchmen" and "The Serpent and the Staff," captured the essence of Scottish culture and traditions.
Another notable figure was Sir John Allister (1892-1971), a Scottish architect who designed several iconic buildings in Glasgow, including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. His work left a lasting impact on the city's architectural landscape.
While the name Allister has Scottish roots, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Allister
Among Census respondents with the surname Allister, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (13.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Allister bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Allister surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.8% · 67
- Black or African American16.1% · 18
- Two or more races13.4% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Allister
Allister appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+7 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,453 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-13 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 2,453 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 13,242 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Allister surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #134,712 | #147,954 | -9.8% |
| Count | 125 | 112 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Allister bearers went from 125 to 112 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 13,242 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #147,954.
FAQ
Allister surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Allister?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Allister. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Allister?
Allister ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Allister. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Allister.
Has Allister become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Allister went from 125 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Allister?
Among Census respondents with the surname Allister, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (13.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Allister in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Allister appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.8%), Black (16.1%), Two or More Races (13.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Allister (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Allister mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the given name Alexander or its pet form Alister. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Allister (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Allister?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.