How common is the surname Allison?

52,701 people in the United States had the surname Allison in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,858 Americans. It ranked 646th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Allison?

James P. Allison, American immunologist and Nobel laureate (born 1948), followed by Dorothy Allison.

Where is the surname Allison most common?

Wikidata records people named Allison in the United States.

How do you pronounce Allison?

Allison is /ˈælɪsən/, 3 syllables.

Is the surname Allison getting more or less common?

More common. 51,504 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 52,701 in 2010, up 2.3%.

Is Allison also a first name?

Yes. Allison is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Allison

An English patronymic surname, carried by 52,701 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈælɪsən/ 3 syllables Soundex A425 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Allison is more common than 99.6% of them.

Origin

English origin

From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son.

Allison is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 1,446 English surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 52,701 people named Allison in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 5,858 Americans. That is up 2.3% since 2000, when the Census counted 51,504.

#646

rank among US surnames

52,701

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+2.3%

change since 2000 (was #590)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#637	Atkinson	53,376	5,784
#638	Velez	53,265	5,796
#639	Meza	53,230	5,800
#640	Roy	53,159	5,808
#641	Vincent	53,095	5,815
#642	York	53,059	5,819
#643	Hodge	52,920	5,834

Who is named Allison

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

81% of people named Allison identified as white (not Hispanic), 13% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.3% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 81%
Black (not Hispanic) 13%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3%
Two or more races 2.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Allisons

19 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

James P. Allison
American immunologist and Nobel laureate (born 1948)
Dorothy Allison
American writer, poet, novelist, critic (1949–2024)
Graham T. Allison
American political scientist (1940-)
Luther Allison
American blues guitarist (1939–1997)
Mose Allison
American jazz blues pianist and singer (1927–2016)
May Allison
American actress (1890–1989)
Bobby Allison
American racecar driver (1937–2024)
Jerry Allison
American rock drummer (1939–2022)
William B. Allison
American politician and Iowa Senator (1829-1908)
Davey Allison
American racecar driver (1961–1993)
Fran Allison
American television and radio comedian, personality and singer (1907-1989)
Rebecca Allison
American cardiologist, 1946–2024

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Variant spellings

Alison
Alyson
Allyson

Surnames that sound like Allison

Allison has the Soundex code A425, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code A425.

Other English surnames

All 1,446 English surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Allison come from?: From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son.
How common is the surname Allison?: 52,701 people in the United States had the surname Allison in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,858 Americans. It ranked 646th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Allison?: In the 2010 Census, 81% of people named Allison identified as white (not Hispanic), and 13% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Allison?: James P. Allison, American immunologist and Nobel laureate (born 1948), followed by Dorothy Allison.
Where is the surname Allison most common?: Wikidata records people named Allison in the United States.
How do you pronounce Allison?: Allison is /ˈælɪsən/, 3 syllables.
What type of surname is Allison?: Allison is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Allison getting more or less common?: More common. 51,504 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 52,701 in 2010, up 2.3%.
What are other spellings of Allison?: Alison, Alyson and Allyson.
Is Allison also a first name?: Yes. Allison is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.