Alison
Alison was the 476th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 644 babies. Its best year was 1986, when it ranked 96th; the most babies were born in 1980 (2,980). Over the last ten years it has moved down 137 places. More babies were named Alison in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Allison) little Alice; also son of Alan or Alice (surname) · French, Germanic, English
- Rank in 2025
- #476 girls, down 36 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 644girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19802,980 babies
- Total since 1880
- 117,481babies recorded
What does the name Alison mean?
Alison is a spelling of Allison, pronounced the same way, so it shares Allison's meaning and origin.
Allison has two sources. As a girl's name it is a spelling of Alison, which Wikipedia describes as a medieval French pet form of Alis, the old form of Alice, with the diminutive ending -on; Middle English had Alisoun. Alice itself comes from a Germanic name meaning 'of noble kind'. As a surname, Wiktionary derives Allison from medieval pet forms of Alan, Alexander or Alice plus -son. Wikipedia notes that the double-l spelling is the most common in the US.
Alis (Old French, “Alice”)-on (Old French, “diminutive ending”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Alison, Allyson, Alyson, Alice, Ali, Allie.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Allison', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Alison (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alice', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Alison popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 595 since 1913, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #476 | 644 |
| 2020 | #440 | 699 |
| 2010 | #269 | 1,219 |
| 2000 | #231 | 1,381 |
| 1990 | #132 | 2,363 |
| 1980 | #101 | 2,980 |
| 1970 | #187 | 1,763 |
| 1960 | #246 | 1,267 |
| 1950 | #428 | 353 |
| 1940 | #1,114 | 42 |
| 1930 | #1,609 | 24 |
| 1920 | #3,099 | 10 |
| 1910 | #2,412 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alison, counting every spelling?
Alison is a spelling of Allison, a name family that ranked #62 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #476 for Alison on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,289 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allison | 2,564 | #103 | 13,699 |
| Alison | 644 | #476 | 3,324 |
| Alisson | 580 | #511 | 2,212 |
| Allyson | 203 | #1,139 | 1,504 |
| Alyson | 157 | #1,388 | 996 |
| Allisson | 62 | #2,751 | 302 |
| Alysson | 41 | #3,648 | 226 |
| Alizon | 9 | #10,144 | 74 |
| Allisyn | 11 | #8,894 | 74 |
| Alicen | 7 | #11,992 | 66 |
| Allysson | 6 | #13,296 | 50 |
| Alisyn | 5 | #15,050 | 41 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alison?
644 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alison (0.18 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alison born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 13 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alison.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alison?
About 110,100 people born in the US named Alison are alive today, with a median age of 40; half are between 27 and 51. That makes Alison mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alison by state
How common Alison was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nebraska (2.0×), Maryland (1.8×), California (1.7×), Arizona (1.6×), Oklahoma (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alison: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alison, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Alison
What does Alison mean?
Alison is a spelling of Allison, which means “little Alice; also son of Alan or Alice (surname)” (French, Germanic, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Alison?
Alison was the 476th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 644 babies. Its best year was 1986, when it ranked 96th; the most babies were born in 1980 (2,980). Over the last ten years it has moved down 137 places. More babies were named Alison in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Alison a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alison in the US.
Where is Alison most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alison was most common in Rhode Island (0.96 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nebraska and Maryland.