What Does the Name Allison Mean?
Allison is a girl's name of Old French origin meaning “Diminutive of Alice; "noble".”
Updated June 2026
| Name | Allison |
|---|---|
| Gender | female |
| Origin | Old French |
| Meaning | Diminutive of Alice; "noble" |
| Variants | Alison, Allyson, Alyson, Allisson |
| Popularity | A US top-100 girls' name for several decades, peaking in the 2000s. |
The meaning and origin of Allison
The name Allison means “Diminutive of Alice; "noble"” and has Old French origins. Derived from a medieval French diminutive of Alice, which comes from the Germanic 'Adalheidis' meaning 'noble'. It became established as an independent name in the English-speaking world.
Variants and related names
Allison is related to several other names you may recognize: Alison, Allyson, Alyson, Allisson. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.
How popular is the name Allison?
A US top-100 girls' name for several decades, peaking in the 2000s.
Popularity matters when you need believable test data: a name that fits the era or region you are modeling makes a generated profile look real. You can generate a complete fictional profile using the name Allison below.
Generate a fake Allison profile
Need a complete fictional identity using the name Allison? Generate a full profile — address, phone, email and more — for testing and privacy.
Open the name generator →Frequently asked questions
What does the name Allison mean?+
The name Allison means “Diminutive of Alice; "noble"” and is of Old French origin.
What is the origin of the name Allison?+
Allison originates from Old French.
Is Allison a popular name?+
Yes — see the popularity note above for how Allison has trended in the US over time.
Allison by gender
More girl's names
Sources
- Behind the Name — Etymology and history of first names — Behind the Name
- US Social Security Administration — Popular baby names by year — Social Security Administration
- A Dictionary of First Names — Oxford Reference — Oxford University Press