Allison is a feminine given name of English origin. It is derived from the Germanic elements adal, meaning "noble," and swiu, which means "strength" or "power." Therefore, Allison can be interpreted to mean "noble strength" or "powerful noblewoman."
The name Allison has been in use for centuries, with its earliest recorded instances appearing in medieval England. However, it was not particularly popular until the mid-20th century when it began to gain traction and became quite common during the 1980s and 1990s.
Allison is often associated with notable figures such as Allison Janney, an American actress known for her role in The West Wing, and Allison Crowe, a Canadian singer-songwriter. While these individuals have contributed to the familiarity of the name, it is important to note that its popularity predates their successes.
In terms of variations, Allison can be spelled with one or two Ls, as well as with different capitalization styles (e.g., Allison, allison). Some common nicknames and related names include Alli, Ally, Alleen, Alison, Alix, and Allana.
The name Allison experienced a significant rise and fall in popularity over the span of these statistics, with peaks in certain decades. In the late 19th century, it hovered around an average of about 7-12 births per year, reaching its first peak in 1911 with 22 births. It then continued to increase throughout the early-to-mid 20th century, peaking again in 1952 with 43 births. However, starting from the late 1960s, there was a steady decline in the popularity of the name Allison, reaching its lowest point in recent years with only 6 births each year from 2020 to 2022. Overall, there were a total of 3811 babies named Allison during this period.