Girl name · Germanic
Alison
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: noble kindAlison is a girl's name that comes from Germanic and means "noble kind". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Noble kind
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #476 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Alison
As a girl's name, Alison comes from Germanic and means "noble kind". It is used in English and Scottish.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Alison on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Alison on 1 list.
“Medieval French pet form of Alice, long common in Scotland: noble kind.”
From Scottish girl names, scots and anglicized Scottish girl names
How popular is Alison?
- US rank in 2025
- #476
- 644 babies, 401 per million girls
- Best rank
- #96 in 1986
- Most babies: 2,980 in 1980
- Babies since 1905
- At least 116,886
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 4 per million |
| 1910s | 16 per million |
| 1920s | 17 per million |
| 1930s | 34 per million |
| 1940s | 100 per million |
| 1950s | 323 per million |
| 1960s | 670 per million |
| 1970s | 1,428 per million |
| 1980s | 1,573 per million |
| 1990s | 1,096 per million |
| 2000s | 719 per million |
| 2010s | 580 per million |
| 2020s | 413 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #343 | #383 | #400 | #413 | #440 | #473 | #458 | #471 | #465 | #476 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Alison
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AdelaideNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdelheidNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AileasNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AilísNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AilishNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AliciaNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AlicjaNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AlisaNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AlixNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AllisonVariant of Alison, a pet form of Alice, noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AlysNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AzalaïsNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
Names spelled like Alison
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AdelinaNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AdelineNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlfonsoNoble and ready (Gothic, boy)
- AlidaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AryaNoble, honorable (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- HeidiNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- KarimGenerous, noble (Arabic, boy)
- MajidGlorious, noble (Arabic, boy)
Middle names for Alison
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolineFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- MatildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
- CarolinaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CharlieFree man (Germanic, unisex)
- ClotildeFamous battle (Germanic, girl)
- GertrudeSpear of strength (Germanic, girl)
- HildeBattle (Germanic, girl)
Alison: common questions
What does the name Alison mean?
Alison comes from Germanic and means "noble kind".
Is Alison a boy or girl name?
Alison is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 644 girls and 5 boys in the US were named Alison, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Alison come from?
Alison comes from Germanic and means "noble kind". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Alison?
Alison ranked #476 in the US in 2025, with 644 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Alison?
Forms of Alison with the same meaning and origin include Adelaide (English), Adelheid (German), Aileas (Scottish), Ailís (Irish) and Ailish (Irish).
What middle names go with Alison?
Middle names that flow well with Alison include Eliza, Honor, Lynn, Mercy and Niamh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.