Allison
Girl name · #103 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Allison? In official American birth records, Allison has been tracked continuously since 1908, giving it 117 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 2,564 baby girls were named Allison, placing it at #103 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #39, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 702 girls born in 2025 was named Allison.
The 117-year story
Allison first appears in the Social Security records in 1908, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1994, when 8,150 girls were named Allison — good for #34 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Allison per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Allison against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Allison in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Allison is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Allison is most common
Geography matters for names, and Allison is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Allison is most common in NV (3.6 per 1,000), NH (3.2 per 1,000), TX (2.7 per 1,000), MD (2.6 per 1,000), TN (2.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Allison is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Allison
Allison carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Allison family went to about 3,781 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #61, versus #103 for Allison alone.
Names like Allison
Statistically, parents drawn to Allison tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Autumn, Madison, Addison, Caroline, and Natalie.
AutumnMadisonAddisonCarolineNatalieVictoriaSamanthaAlexandra
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Allison | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,564 | #103 |
| 2024 | 2,631 | #99 |
| 2023 | 2,650 | #100 |
| 2022 | 2,714 | #101 |
| 2021 | 3,140 | #82 |
| 2020 | 3,161 | #80 |
| 2019 | 3,440 | #78 |
| 2018 | 3,694 | #70 |
| 2017 | 4,037 | #61 |
| 2016 | 4,786 | #50 |
| 2015 | 5,356 | #39 |
| 2014 | 5,476 | #39 |
| 2013 | 5,446 | #34 |
| 2012 | 5,428 | #38 |
| 2011 | 5,472 | #40 |
| 2010 | 5,868 | #38 |
| 2009 | 6,581 | #30 |
| 2008 | 6,241 | #32 |
| 2007 | 5,454 | #46 |
| 2006 | 5,564 | #47 |
| 2005 | 5,634 | #45 |
| 2004 | 5,873 | #40 |
| 2003 | 5,850 | #46 |
| 2002 | 6,239 | #44 |
| 2001 | 6,215 | #44 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Allison?
In official American birth records, the name Allison first appeared in 1908 (over 117 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 117 years.
Is Allison a popular girl name?
Allison ranked #103 among girls in 2025 with 2,564 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #39.
When was the name Allison most popular?
Allison peaked in 1994, when 8,150 American girls received the name (ranked #34 that year). Since 1994 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Allison?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 702 newborn American girls was named Allison. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.