Allison
Allison is a girl's name of Germanic origin.
Meaning
Noble, noble kind, or son of Alice.
Origin and history
Allison originated as a French diminutive of Alice, which traces back to the Germanic name Adalheidis meaning noble type. Long used as both a surname and a given name in the English-speaking world, it gained widespread popularity in the late 20th century. It remains a stable and familiar choice for girls in the United States.
Popularity in the United States
319,119 babies in the United States have been named Allison since 1880. It ranks #123 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #94.
States where it is most popular
- CA (10.8 %)
- TX (8.3 %)
- NY (6.9 %)
- OH (4.9 %)
- IL (4.6 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 6 |
| 1910-1920 | 145 |
| 1920-1930 | 227 |
| 1930-1940 | 236 |
| 1940-1950 | 680 |
| 1950-1960 | 4,553 |
| 1960-1970 | 16,525 |
| 1970-1980 | 34,158 |
| 1980-1990 | 62,327 |
| 1990-2000 | 74,433 |
| 2000-2010 | 59,966 |
| 2010-2019 | 49,003 |
| 2020-2029 | 16,860 |
Famous people named Allison
- Allison Janney: Actress
- Allison Williams: Actress, Singer
- Allison Felix: Athlete, Sprinter
Nicknames
Allie, Ally, Ali
Fun facts
- The name reached Britain following the Norman Conquest as a hypocoristic medieval diminutive of Alice.
- Allison has been a consistently popular female name in the United States, ranking among the top female names for decades.