Allison
Alison is a female given name in English-speaking countries. It was originally a medieval French nickname for Alis / Alys, an old form of Alice derived with the suffix -on or -son sometimes used in the former French nicknames. The Middle English form was Alisoun.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Allison
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Alison is a female given name in English-speaking countries. It was originally a medieval French nickname for Alis / Alys, an old form of Alice derived with the suffix -on or -son sometimes used in the former French nicknames. The Middle English form was Alisoun.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Allison
American parents first put Allison on the record books as a baby girl name in 1908, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1994, when 8,150 Allisons were born — ranking #34 that year. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 23% of all recorded Allisons. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #105 among baby girl names with 2,433 births, falling sharply (-26%). In total, more than 321K Allisons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Allison
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Allison. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Allison
Phonetically similar names — useful when Allison is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Allison
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About the name Allison
Allison is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1908 and has accumulated 321K births in the dataset. Allison's peak popularity came in 1994 when it ranked #30. Use the chart and map above to compare Allison's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1994 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.