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By Clare Green · Oct 2026

Alison

OriginNorman French, diminutive of Alice
Meaning"noble"
GenderBoy & girl
US rank · girls#476

2025 SSA

US rank · boys#12100

2025 SSA

About Alison

Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad dated in the U.S., with Alice having leapfrogged back over Alison, Allison, Alicia and other variations.

Last year, about 650 baby girls were named Alison in the US, versus four times that many called Allison and five times that number, about 3300, named Alice.

Alison is also given to boys, where it ranks #12100 in the US.

Pronounced AL-uh-sun.

As of October 2026, Alison ranked #476 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #96 in 1986, Nameberry popularity #984.

Popularity & trends

US popularity — history
US rank, lower is more popular · SSA data 2014–2025
Girls #476
Boys #4,239
#300#400'14'16'18'20'22'24
20142025
18802025
Data table
YearUS rank · girlsBirths · girlsUS rank · boysBirths · boys
2014#2921,118—0
2015#339967—0
2016#343973—0
2017#383816—0
2018#400770—0
2019#413758—0
2020#440699—0
2021#475658—0
2022#457692—0
2023#471653—0
2024#465673—0
2025#476644—0
Popularity history from more than a century of Social Security Administration birth records. Years without a line are years the name fell below the published records.

See the Berry Trend for All Names

World rankings

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Alison on lists

Mexican Baby NamesGirl
Gossip Girl NamesGirl
Millennial NamesGirl
Names with Inspirational MeaningsGirl
Names That Mean NobleGirl
Names With Lots of SpellingsGirl
Scottish NamesGirl
Scottish Names for GirlsGirl
6 Letter Girl NamesGirl
UK Baby NamesGirl
UK Girl NamesGirl
Names Ending in N for GirlsGirl
Three Syllable Names for GirlsGirl
Animal Names for GirlsGirl
Scottish Names that Start With AGirl
Girls Names That Start With AGirl
Boys Names That Start With ABoy

Famous Alisons

  • Alison Maria KraussGirl

    American country and bluegrass singer

  • Alison Ann "Ali" SweeneyGirl

    American actress

  • Alison Marion LohmanGirl

    American actress

  • Alison Elizabeth "Ali" LarterGirl

    American actress

  • Alison Loren SudolGirl

    American musician of A Fine Frenzy

  • Alison "Ali" HewsonGirl

    Irish activist, wife of singer Bono

  • Alison Margaret ArngrimGirl

    American actress

  • Alison Courtney PillGirl

    Canadian actress

  • Alison Brie (Schermerhorn)Girl

    American actress

  • Alison "Ali" GertzGirl

    American AIDS activist

  • (Geneviève) Alison Jane MoyetGirl

    English singer

  • Alison RiskeGirl

    American tennis player

  • Alison SteadmanGirl

    English actress

  • Alison WeirGirl

    English novelist

  • Alison Van UytvanckGirl

    Belgian tennis player

  • Alison BechdelGirl

    American cartoonist

  • Alison BaiGirl

    Australian tennis player

  • Alison BrownGirl

    American banjo player

  • Alison Elizabeth Margaret GoldfrappGirl

    English musician of duo Goldfrapp

  • Alison Joy LeggattGirl

    English actress

  • Alison WheelerGirl

    English singer of The Beautiful South

  • Alison Laura CarrollGirl

    English gymnast, model and actress; model for Lara Croft

  • Alison Jane UttleyGirl

    English children's author

  • Alison KingGirl

    English actress

  • Alison ParkerGirl

    American News Reporter shot on live TV

  • Alison "Ali" OetjenGirl

    Australian reality TV star

  • Alison Eastwood (b. 1972)Girl

    American actress; daughter of actor Clint Eastwood

  • Taylor Alison SwiftGirl

    American singer and songwriter

Alison in pop culture

  • Alison DiLaurentisGirl

    character in the Pretty Little Liars series

  • Alison HendrixGirl

    character in TV's "Orphan Black"

  • Alison HumphreyGirl

    character in the Gossip Girl series

  • Alison RobbGirl

    character in the Canterwood Crest series

  • Alison Barrington KovichGirl

    character in TV soap "Port Charles"

  • Alison MongrainGirl

    character in Spider,Man comics

  • Alison ArgentGirl

    character on TV's Teen Wolf

  • Alison BaileyGirl

    lead character on TV's "The Affair"

  • Alison O'SullivanGirl

    character in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton

  • Alison StanhopeGirl

    title character in "Alison's House," play by Susan Glaspell

  • Alison FindlayGirl

    main character in "Alison's Birthday," 1981 Australian horror movie

  • Alison FordGirl

    character in "Portrait of Alison," British movie and TV series

  • Alison PooleGirl

    character in Jay McInerney's novel "Story of My Life", recurring character in Bret Easton Ellis's novels

  • Alison SedgeGirl

    a character in The Deptford Mice trilogy of books by Robin Jarvis

  • Alison AshleyGirl

    main character in "Hating Alison Ashley" by Robin Klein

  • "AlisonGirl

    " song by Elvis Costello

  • "AlisonGirl

    " song by Slowdive

  • "AlisonGirl

    " song by French singer Jordy Lemoine

  • "Alison Hell"Girl

    song by Annihilator

  • "Alison's Starting To Happen"Girl

    song by The Lemonheads

  • "Alison's the Bomb"Girl

    song by The Huntingtons

  • "Alison and WillieGirl

    " English folk song

  • "Alison and MaudGirl

    " BBC radio comedy series

Variations & nicknames

Alison in blog posts

Top Baby Names 2025: The Playground Analysis

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