lolainslacks's list "Female First Names" of 3 great name ideas: Addison - Allison!

Female First Names

Newly fashioned but familiar and with an on-trend, unisex feel, Addison seems like the perfect solution for anyone who can't decide between Madison, Adeline, and Alison.

Addison really took off in the mid-2000s, making a spectacular jump from being outside the Top 100 to being nearly within the Top 10, just two years later. Undoubtedly influenced by the introduction of Dr. Addison Shephard to "Grey's Anatomy", the name was at its peak in 2009.

While it's been steadily falling back down the charts, it does remain a popular choice. Currently given to over 3000 girls in the US each year, it ranks highly in New Zealand and Canada, too. In the UK, it has made significant gains, becoming familiar for girls — and for boys too.

Borrowed from an English surname, meaning "son of Adam," Addison joined Madison as one of the few "son of" names to be used almost exclusively on girls. It also joins the 17 strong crowd of "Ad- names" in the charts for girls, including Adeline, Adelyn, and Adelaide.

Contemporary and cool with a cute, sassy nickname, Addison has been a popular choice for celebrities. Baseball player Jason Bay, TV personality DeAnna Papas Stagliano, NASCAR driver Sam Hornish Jr, and Joe and Kendra Duggar all have daughters called Addison.

It is unclear if Addison will fall as fast as it rose, but for now it remains comfortably within the Top 100. So, if love Addison but want your choice to stand out, you could try: Sullivan "Sunny"; Halliday "Hallie"; Barrett "Betty"; or Alcott "Lottie."

Addison

Caroline is a perennial classic, one of the elite group of girls' names that's ALWAYS ranked among the Top 1000 and that's been in the Top 100 since 1994. Elegant yet strong, Caroline calls to mind the Kennedy Camelot years and Princess Caroline of Monaco.
 
Caroline went to England in 1705 with King George II's wife, the German Queen Caroline of Ansbach, and then George IV married another German Caroline in 1795. 
 
In the US, Caroline has been a First Lady name via President Benjamin Harrison and was the name of one of the famous First Daughters, Caroline Kennedy. 
 
Jane Austen named one of her less pleasant characters in Pride and Prejudice Caroline, and the name was also borne by Lady Caroline Lamb, the mistress of the poet Lord Byron, as well as the mother of the Little House on the Prairie brood.
 
The song "Sweet Caroline" was a huge soft-rock hit for Neil Diamond in 1969, inspired by then-eleven-year-old Caroline Kennedy (for whom he sang it at her fiftieth birthday party).
 
Carolina is the more feminine (and place name) version, as opposed to the newer form Carolyn, which forces the pronunciation of the final syllable to rhyme with win and spin. Though Caroline can be pronounced that way, it's more usually pronounced to rhyme with wine and fine.

Caroline

Widely used here since the 50s, Allison — a derivative of Alice — has now been once again surpassed by the original Alice as parents embrace vintage revivals. Despite this, Allison's popularity has slipped only slightly. 

Allison's status is challenged by up-and-coming "-son" names, from Addison to Emerson. The freshest Allison alternative may be Ellison, which adds the appeal of trendy nickname Ellie as opposed to falling nickname Allie.

Female First Names

The names

Addison

Caroline

Allison