Allison

Spellings & scripts●(measured from records)

Spellings marked ● are how people bearing the name write it in our records, and ○ marks a model's transliteration; click a spelling to open its page.

Meaning & origin●(measured from records)

Attested across 17 languages in the etymology graph.

Often considered alongside

Names that people choosing a name often weigh against Allison, most often first. They share a style rather than an origin.

• Brittany
• Courtney
• Bethany
• Becky
• Caitlin
• Brianna
• Chelsea
• Beverly
• Danielle
• Becca
• Beth
• Brittney

From the names suggested together in public name-advice forums, in English. A list of what people consider, not a measure of how common any name is.

Other names spelled this way◐(inferred from the name graph)

Allison is also recorded as 5 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Spanish given name31 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Peru, Colombia, Chile

  Also written Allíson, Allisón, Allisön, A'Llison, Állison

• Portuguese given name9 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Peru

  Also written Állison, Allíson, Allişon, Allisòn, Állísón

• a separate name5 spellings in the group

  Also written Alli-Son, Allíson, Allis-On, Állison

• French given name10 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, United States, Belgium, Canada

  Languages: French, Catalan

  Also written Allîson, Ãllïson, Allíson, Àllisòn, Ällison

• Greek given name4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Greece, United States, United Kingdom, Canada

  Also written Alison, Αλισον, Άλλισον

70 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●(measured from records)

Allison is also recorded in 3 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, A surname originating as a patronymic.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In English, v. ALISON, ALLANSON

  as a name·A Dictionary of English Surnames

• In Irish, Synonymous with Ellison in Scotland. In Ireland it was found formerly in Co. Donegal, now mainly in Co. Antrim

  as a name·The Surnames of Ireland

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Notable people with this name●(measured from records)

• Allison Andersb. 1954USdirector, screenwriter
• Drew Careyb. 1958USnot in their usual nameAmerican comedian (born 1958)
• Allison Janneyb. 1959USAmerican actress (born 1959)
• Alyson Hanniganb. 1974USnot in their usual nameAmerican actress and television presenter (born 1974)
• Allison Joy Langerb. 1974USAmerican actress (born 1974)
• Allison Tolmanb. 1981USAmerican actress
• Allison Mackb. 1982USAmerican former actress
• Allison Millerb. 1985ITAmerican actress
• Allison Williamsb. 1988USAmerican actress, comedian and musician
• Allison Scagliottib. 1990USAmerican actress and musician

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

How to address them○(machine-generated)

A formal English salutation is built on the surname, so it needs a full name — on its own, a first name only supports the informal form.

Evidence●(measured from records)

Register rows as of the 2026-10-09 data build.

Frequently asked questions

What are other forms of the name Allison?

In the etymology graph, Ali, Alicia and Alice are forms of the same name in other languages.

Is Allison a male or female name?

Allison is recorded for both men and women. We don't publish a percentage split: a record's gender belongs to the person and is attached to every given name on that record, so names in cultures where a name string also carries a parent's or spouse's given name pick up large cross-gender counts.

What does the name Allison mean, and where does it come from?

Son of Allis, son of Allen, or son of Ellis. Recorded by Encyclopedia of surnames [the complete companion to tracing your names history].

In which country does Allison have the most bearers?

In the United States, the national register counted about 281 thousand people named Allison, more than in any other country we hold, where it is most often spelled allison.

Where is Allison most common?

Allison is densest in the United States, where the national register counts about 1 in 1.2 thousand people carrying it.

How do you pronounce Allison?

A machine transcription gives /ˈæɫəsən/ (IPA) for English.

How common is the name Allison?

In the United States, the national register counted 280,746 people named Allison in 2020, about 1 in 1.2 thousand residents.

How common is Allison compared with other names?

In the United States, Allison is the 284th most common given name of 2,815,431 given names recorded there.