Alison
Girl name · #476 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 644 baby girls were named Alison, placing it at #476 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #338, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,795 girls born in 2025 was named Alison.
The 120-year story
Alison first appears in the Social Security records in 1905, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1980, when 2,980 girls were named Alison — good for #101 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Alison per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alison against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alison in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Alison is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Alison is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alison is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Alison is most common in AL (0.7 per 1,000), MD (0.7 per 1,000), AZ (0.7 per 1,000), CA (0.7 per 1,000), SC (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Alison is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Alison
Alison belongs to the Allison family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Allison family went to about 3,781 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #61, versus #476 for Alison alone.
Names like Alison
Statistically, parents drawn to Alison tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alyson, Alicia, Allyson, Andrea, and April.
AlysonAliciaAllysonAndreaAprilMeredithAmandaAmber
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alison | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 644 | #476 |
| 2024 | 674 | #465 |
| 2023 | 654 | #471 |
| 2022 | 692 | #458 |
| 2021 | 660 | #473 |
| 2020 | 699 | #440 |
| 2019 | 758 | #413 |
| 2018 | 770 | #400 |
| 2017 | 816 | #383 |
| 2016 | 974 | #343 |
| 2015 | 967 | #338 |
| 2014 | 1,118 | #292 |
| 2013 | 1,072 | #298 |
| 2012 | 1,184 | #275 |
| 2011 | 1,272 | #253 |
| 2010 | 1,219 | #269 |
| 2009 | 1,448 | #228 |
| 2008 | 1,247 | #275 |
| 2007 | 1,170 | #290 |
| 2006 | 1,217 | #271 |
| 2005 | 1,256 | #260 |
| 2004 | 1,433 | #229 |
| 2003 | 1,413 | #233 |
| 2002 | 1,361 | #232 |
| 2001 | 1,360 | #233 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Alison a popular girl name?
Alison ranked #476 among girls in 2025 with 644 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #338.
When was the name Alison most popular?
Alison peaked in 1980, when 2,980 American girls received the name (ranked #101 that year). Since 1980 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alison?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,795 newborn American girls was named Alison. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.