Alaster
A Scottish variant of Alexander meaning "defender of man".
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the first name Alaster. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alaster today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alaster births was 2024 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alaster. 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.
People living today
124
~ 1 in 2,764,148 Americans
Peak year
2024
16 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,656
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Alaster: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alaster from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 49 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alaster 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 Alaster during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alaster
The name Alaster is derived from the Old Norse name Hallsteinn, which is composed of the elements "hallr" meaning "rock" and "steinn" meaning "stone." This name was commonly used in medieval Scandinavia, particularly in Iceland and Norway.
The earliest recorded use of the name Alaster can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Icelandic sagas and other literary works. One notable figure from this time was Alaster the Wise, a renowned skald (poet) who lived in Iceland during the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name Alaster gained popularity among Scottish clans, particularly in the Highlands. It is believed that the name was brought to Scotland by Norse settlers and traders who had interactions with the local population. One of the most famous Alasters from this period was Alaster MacDonald, a prominent chieftain of the Clan Donald who lived from 1230 to 1299.
During the Renaissance period, the name Alaster was used by several individuals who made significant contributions to the arts and sciences. Alaster de Vere, an English poet and courtier who lived from 1485 to 1546, was one such figure. Another notable Alaster from this time was Alaster Cunningham, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1519 to 1586.
In the 17th century, the name Alaster gained popularity among English Puritans, who were drawn to its Old Testament-like sound. One of the most famous Alasters from this period was Alaster Cromwell, a nephew of Oliver Cromwell and a prominent military commander during the English Civil War (1642-1651).
In the 19th century, the name Alaster was used by several notable figures in literature and academia. Alaster Tennyson, the famous English poet laureate who lived from 1809 to 1892, was one such individual. Another notable Alaster from this time was Alaster Macpherson, a Scottish philologist and scholar of Celtic literature who lived from 1832 to 1901.
People
Alaster + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alaster 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
Alaster: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alaster?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 124 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alaster 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 2,764,148 US residents.
Is Alaster a common name?
We classify Alaster as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 125 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alaster most popular?
The single biggest year for Alaster was 2024, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alaster is about 10 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 Alaster in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alaster a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alaster 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 Alaster still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alaster 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 Alaster 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 common is the name Alaster?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.