Macalister
Macalister, MacAlister, MacAllister and their variants are forms of a Gaelic surname which means 'son of Alisdair'. The name originated in Scotland and belonged to a branch of the Clan Donald; they became an independent clan in 1493. From about the thirteenth century, MacAlisters were settling in the Glens of Northern Ireland, and they became numerous there.
Meaning & Origin of Macalister
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Macalister, MacAlister, MacAllister and their variants are forms of a Gaelic surname which means 'son of Alisdair'. The name originated in Scotland and belonged to a branch of the Clan Donald; they became an independent clan in 1493. From about the thirteenth century, MacAlisters were settling in the Glens of Northern Ireland, and they became numerous there.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Macalister
Macalister first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1999, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 11 Macalisters were born — ranking #6,257 that year. As of 2026, Macalister ranks #10,889 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 96 Macalisters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Macalister
Phonetically similar names — useful when Macalister is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Mcalester
- Mcallister
- Mcalister
- Mccollister
- Macallister
- Knuckleduster
- Molester
- Molestar
- Mcaleer
- Macaluso
- Myklebust
- Lackluster
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Macalister
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About the name Macalister
Macalister is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1999 and has accumulated 96 births in the dataset. Macalister's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #6,257. Use the chart and map above to compare Macalister's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2003 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.