Girl
Old French
3 syllables
Allison
AL-ih-sun
/ˈælɪsən/
"Little noble one" — warm, dependable, and effortlessly approachable
Allison is the medieval elaboration of Alice, formed by adding the French diminutive suffix '-son' to create 'little Alice' or 'little noble one.' Popular throughout the Middle Ages as Alison — a name immortalized in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales — it re-emerged in the 20th century in its double-L spelling. The name strikes a perfect balance: familiar enough to feel comfortable, distinctive enough to stand out.
Quick Facts
Letters7
SyllablesAl · li · son
GenderGirl
OriginOld French
Root WordAlison
MeaningNoble, of noble kind
PopularityPopular
Peak Year1997
Trend
→ Stable
Name DayDecember 16
Nicknames
AllieAllyAliAlli
About the Name Allison
Allison means 'noble' or 'of noble kind,' as a diminutive form of Alice. The '-son' suffix was added in medieval French to mean 'little Alice' or 'child of noble birth.'
The two most common spellings are Allison (with double L) and Alison (single L). Allison is more popular in the United States, while Alison is more common in the UK and Australia.
Allison has been a top-100 US girl name since the 1970s, peaking in the 1990s and 2000s. It remains popular today, ranking consistently in the top 60.
The most popular nicknames are Allie and Ally, both warm and approachable. Ali and Alli are also used.
Allison pairs well with shorter middle names: Allison Grace, Allison Rose, Allison Marie, Allison Jane, and Allison Kate all flow naturally.
Allison originated as a medieval French diminutive of Alice, itself from the Old High German Adalheidis meaning 'noble kind.' It was a common name in medieval England and Scotland.
Personality of Allison
Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Allison
Creativity
72%
Elegance
75%
Independence
78%
Intelligence
80%
Strength
68%
Warmth
84%
Famous People Named Allison
A
Allison Janney
Emmy and Academy Award-winning actress known for The West Wing and I, Tonya
A
Allison Williams
American actress known for Girls and the horror film Get Out
A
Alison Krauss
Multi-Grammy Award-winning American bluegrass and country singer
Middle Names for Allison
Beautiful combinations that flow well with Allison
Allison Grace
Allison Marie
Allison Rose
Allison Jane
Allison Kate
Allison Lynn
Allison Paige
Allison Jade
Allison Brooke
Allison Rae
Allison Nicole
Allison Ann
Names Similar to Allison
Similar Sound
Similar Meaning
Sibling Name Ideas
History of Allison
1380s
Geoffrey Chaucer features the spirited Alison in The Canterbury Tales, giving the name literary prestige
1970s
Allison spikes in popularity in the US, becoming a top-100 staple for three decades
1986
Elvis Costello's song 'Alison' cements the name in pop culture with one of rock's most tender ballads
2000s
Allison reaches its peak popularity in the US, consistently ranking in the top 50 girl names
Numerology & Symbolism of Allison
1
Destiny Number
Sum of all letters
7
Soul Urge
Sum of vowels
♍
Zodiac Affinity
Libra
6
Lucky Number
Personal power digit
🎨
Lucky Color
Lavender
💎
Lucky Stone
Opal
🌸
Lucky Flower
Lilac
Allison Around the World
How Allison is written in different languages and scripts
أليسون
Arabic
アリソン
Japanese
Эллисон
Russian
앨리슨
Korean
艾莉森
Chinese
Άλισον
Greek
एलिसन
Hindi
אליסון
Hebrew
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