About this name
We do not yet have a written origin for Alison, so here is what the census records show.
Surname origins are rarely settled, and we would rather say nothing than guess. The sources below are the best places to look, and our guide to how surnames began explains the usual types.
Similar spellings
Names nearby in the census
#32,123
Alison was the 32,123rd most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 718 people, about 0.2 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
The Census Bureau withholds some figures for small groups, so these shares add up to 97.4%.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Alison is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.