girl's name
Allison
AL-ih-sun
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 338,181
the United States
#103
2025 births
Allison is a girl's name of Norman French origin, from Alis — the medieval form of Alice — plus a diminutive ending. Its meaning is therefore inherited from Alice: noble, from the Germanic adal.
- Allison is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1994, when 8,163 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,290 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Allison started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Allison over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 70 |
| 1890s | 80 |
| 1900s | 94 |
| 1910s | 576 |
| 1920s | 837 |
| 1930s | 659 |
| 1940s | 1,064 |
| 1950s | 4,936 |
| 1960s | 16,928 |
| 1970s | 34,410 |
| 1980s | 62,642 |
| 1990s | 74,580 |
| 2000s | 60,097 |
| 2010s | 49,079 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 16,892 |
What Allison means
Allison means little Alice, and Alice means noble, from the Germanic adal. Reference sources offering "son of Alan" are reading the -son ending as a patronymic, which is a later reinterpretation rather than the origin.
Where Allison comes from
Allison comes from the Norman French Alison, a diminutive of Alis, the medieval form of Alice, itself contracted from the Germanic Adalheidis meaning noble. The -on ending is a French diminutive, not the English -son meaning offspring, though the resemblance has produced the common but mistaken gloss "son of Alan." Alison appears in medieval English literature, including Chaucer's Miller's Tale. The name became a surname as well as a given name, and in modern American use the doubled-l Allison is the more common spelling while Alison remains standard in Britain.
Allison in use
The -on in Allison is a French diminutive, not the English -son — "son of Alan" is a later misreading.
How popular is Allison?
In 2025, Allison was given to 2,570 babies in the United States, ranking #103 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Allison is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Allison
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Allison also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Allison over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Allison
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Allison in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Portuguese
- Alison
Sibling names for Allison
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Allison — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Allison
What does the name Allison mean?
Allison means "little Alice," and Alice means noble, from the Germanic adal.
Does Allison mean son of Alan?
No. The -on is a French diminutive, not the English -son; that reading is a later misinterpretation.
What is the difference between Allison and Alison?
Only spelling — Allison is more common in America, Alison in Britain.
How popular is the name Allison?
In 2025, Allison was given to 2,570 babies in the United States, ranking #103 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Allison a girl's or a boy's name?
Allison is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Allison?
Allison has 3 syllables.
When was Allison most popular?
Allison peaked in 1994, when 8,163 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Allison?
Allison is usually shortened to Ally and Allie.
Is Allison a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Allison currently ranks #103 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Allison originally a boys' or girls' name?
Allison was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.