The first name Alison
A girl’s name meaning “of noble kind”.
Pronounced /ˈælɪsən/ 3 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Alison means “of noble kind”.
From Middle English Alisoun, from Old French Alison, itself from Alis + -on, with Alis ultimately being from Old High German Adalheid or Adalhaid (“of noble kind”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 17 girls were named Alison, making it the 1,719th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 181 births (#225).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alison with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Alison at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 644 girls born in the United States were named Alison, the 476th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1980, when 2,980 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Alison
80 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Alison BrieAmerican actress and writer (born 1982)
- Alison KraussAmerican musician, born 1971
- Alison LohmanAmerican actress, born 1979
- Alison PillCanadian actress (born 1985)
- Alison SudolAmerican musician, born 1984
- Alison BechdelAmerican cartoonist, author, born 1960
- Alison Riske-AmritrajAmerican tennis player, born 1990
- Alison dos SantosBrazilian hurdler (born 2000)
- Alison LurieAmerican novelist and academic (1926-2020)
- Alison MoyetBritish singer, born 1961
- Alison Van UytvanckBelgian tennis player, born 1994
- Alison WilliamsonBritish archer, born 1971
Questions
- What does the name Alison mean?
- Alison means “of noble kind”.
- How popular is the name Alison?
- In 2025, 17 girls born in England and Wales were named Alison, ranking 1,719th. Its peak was 1996, with 181 births.
- What are nicknames for Alison?
- Common nicknames for Alison include Ali, Aly, Al, Alie, Alli, Allie.
- Is Alison a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 117,481 US babies named Alison since 1880 were girls.
- When was Alison most popular?
- 1980 in the United States, when 2,980 babies were named Alison, its highest rank at 101st.
- How do you pronounce Alison?
- Alison is /ˈælɪsən/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Alison?
- Allison, Allisson, Allyson and Alyson.
- Is Alison also a surname?
- Yes. Alison is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.