How to say it
AL · li · son
/ˈæl.ɪ.sən/
Feminine
Allison
Noble kind
What it means
Norman French diminutive of Alice (the feminine of the Germanic Adalheidis, 'noble kind'). Originally Alison (one L); the double-L spelling is American and 20th-century.
Allison comes from Alison, a medieval Norman French diminutive of Alice (the feminine of the Germanic Adalheidis, 'noble kind'). The name dropped out of regular use after the 16th century and was revived as a first name in the 20th-century US, where the double-L Allison spelling became more common than the single-L Alison. Allison Williams (Girls, Get Out) and Allison Janney (The West Wing, I, Tonya) are the modern English-language anchors. It's been in the US top 100 since 1981. Common shorts: Allie, Ally, Al, Sonny.
Popularity over time
peaked at #30 in 2009, currently #103 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Allison (double L) is the dominant US spelling; Alison (single L) is the British and original form. Same pronunciation.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Allison Janney American actress, The West Wing and I, Tonya (Oscar)
- Alison Bechdel American cartoonist, Fun Home and the Bechdel test
Spelling variants
- Alison
- Alyson
- Allyson
Names with the same feeling
See Allison from another angle
By meaning
By style