Alison

Meaning of Alison

Alison, an English feminine given name rendered phonetically as AL-i-suhn, descends from the medieval French diminutive Alis, itself a pet form of Alice that emerged from the Old High German Adelheid—“adal” meaning “noble” and “heit” denoting “kind” or “type”—so that the etymological sense of the modern name converges on the idea of “noble bearing.” Introduced to Britain by the Normans, Alison first circulated as a surname in Scotland before re-entering common-use lexicons as a forename during the nineteenth-century revival of medieval appellations. In the contemporary United States it has displayed a characteristically oscillating yet resilient popularity curve: after climbing methodically from the 1950s, Alison reached its zenith in the late 1970s (entering the national Top-100), contracted gradually through the 1990s, and now maintains a stable mid-range position—ranked in the low 400s in recent years—indicative of enduring familiarity without over-saturation. Cultural resonance is reinforced by bearers across music (Alison Krauss), literature (Alison Bechdel), and sport (Alison Lee), collectively lending the name a profile of understated competence and creative acuity. Thus, Alison combines venerable continental roots with modern Anglo-American versatility, offering parents a designation that is historically grounded, phonetically clear, and socially adaptable.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as AL-i-suhn (/ˈælɪsən/)

• Alyssa
• Alexia
• Allison
• Alina
• Alyson
• Alice
• Alicia