Alyson
Alyson was the 1388th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 157 babies. Its best year was 1987, when it ranked 346th; the most babies were born in 1990 (741). Over the last ten years it has moved down 708 places. More babies were named Alyson in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Allison) little Alice; also son of Alan or Alice (surname) · French, Germanic, English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,388 girls, down 325 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 157girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1990741 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,740babies recorded
What does the name Alyson mean?
Alyson 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
Alyson popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 10 since 1986.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,388 | 157 |
| 2020 | #1,063 | 233 |
| 2010 | #510 | 588 |
| 2000 | #463 | 599 |
| 1990 | #358 | 741 |
| 1980 | #447 | 478 |
| 1970 | #688 | 229 |
| 1960 | #1,063 | 102 |
| 1950 | #1,722 | 30 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alyson, counting every spelling?
Alyson is a spelling of Allison, a name family that ranked #62 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,388 for Alyson 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 Alyson?
157 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alyson (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alyson 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 53 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alyson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alyson?
About 28,800 people born in the US named Alyson are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 19 and 41. That makes Alyson mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Alyson by state
How common Alyson was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.1×), Texas (2.0×). In 31 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alyson: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alyson, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Alyson
What does Alyson mean?
Alyson 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 Alyson?
Alyson was the 1388th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 157 babies. Its best year was 1987, when it ranked 346th; the most babies were born in 1990 (741). Over the last ten years it has moved down 708 places. More babies were named Alyson in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Alyson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alyson in the US.
Where is Alyson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alyson was most common in Arizona (0.26 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and California.