Alison is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Alison means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Alison across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Alison has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Alison is a girl name of Germanic origin meaning “noble”. a medieval diminutive of Alice.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 117,481 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,286 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 5,666 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 72 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,474 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,444 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Alison per year, United States (1905 to 2025). United States peaked in 1986 (3,000/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (453/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (181/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1989 (166/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (18/yr).
Alison has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1986, when it ranked #197 nationally (given to 3,324 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Allison · Wilson · Allyson · Alyson · Allisson · Alisson · Ellison · Elson
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