Allison
Allison was the 103rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,564 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 30th; the most babies were born in 1994 (8,150). Over the last ten years it has moved down 64 places. More babies were named Allison in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning little Alice; also son of Alan or Alice (surname) · French, Germanic, English
Say it AL-ih-suhn /ˈælɪsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #103 girls, down 23 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,564girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19948,150 babies
- Total since 1880
- 322,944babies recorded
What does the name Allison mean?
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
Nicknames for Allison
The usual nicknames for Allison are Allie and Ali. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Allison in the last five years, 23 were named Allie, against 17 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allie · also for Alice, Alexandra | Traditional | #569 | 3,133 |
| Ali · also for Aliza, Alicia | Modern | #3,463 | 380 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Allisons go by each one.
Allison popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 3,825 since 1880, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #103 | 2,564 |
| 2020 | #80 | 3,161 |
| 2010 | #38 | 5,868 |
| 2000 | #44 | 6,315 |
| 1990 | #48 | 7,136 |
| 1980 | #59 | 4,868 |
| 1970 | #133 | 2,630 |
| 1960 | #277 | 1,068 |
| 1950 | #681 | 157 |
| 1940 | #1,592 | 24 |
| 1930 | #2,026 | 17 |
| 1920 | #1,754 | 23 |
| 1910 | #2,415 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Allison, counting every spelling?
Allison is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #62 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #103 for Allison 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 Allison?
2,564 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Allison (0.71 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Allison 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 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Allison.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Allison?
About 308,900 people born in the US named Allison are alive today, with a median age of 31; half are between 18 and 41. That makes Allison 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.
Allison by state
How common Allison was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (2.4×), New Mexico (2.2×), Texas (1.6×), Nevada (1.6×), Maryland (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Hawaii, North Dakota, Rhode Island.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Allison: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Allison, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Allison · Sibling names for Allison
Questions about the name Allison
What does Allison mean?
Allison means “little Alice; also son of Alan or Alice (surname)” (French, Germanic, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Allison?
Allison was the 103rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,564 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 30th; the most babies were born in 1994 (8,150). Over the last ten years it has moved down 64 places. More babies were named Allison in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Allison a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Allison in the US.
Where is Allison most popular?
In 2021–2025, Allison was most common in Delaware (3.97 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Mexico and Texas.