The spelling of the surname McCalister can be a bit tricky due to its inconsistent pronunciation. In IPA phonetic transcription, the word is spelled as məˈkælɪstər. The "Mc" prefix is pronounced as "mək" while the "a" and "i" vowels in the middle are pronounced as a schwa and a short "i" respectively. The ending "-ster" is pronounced as "-stər". Therefore, it is essential to double-check the spelling of this name to avoid any spelling errors.
The word "McCalister" is predominantly a surname of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Alasdair", which means "son of Alasdair". In Gaelic, "Mac" indicates "son of", and "Alasdair" is the Gaelic form of the name "Alexander". Over time, "Mac Alasdair" evolved into various forms and spellings, including "MacAlistair", "MacAlistar", and eventually "McCalister" among others.