The name Alison originated from the Old French name Alis, which was a diminutive form of the name Alix, derived from the Germanic name Adalheidis. Adalheidis was composed of the elements "adal," meaning "noble," and "heid," meaning "kind, sort, type, or noble-born."

The name Alison gained popularity in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages, around the 12th and 13th centuries. It was often spelled as Alis, Aleyson, or Alison. The name was also influenced by the French name Alice, which had a similar origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alison can be found in the medieval romance "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," written in the late 14th century. In the poem, Alison is mentioned as the daughter of the Green Knight.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Alison. One of the earliest was Alison de Vere (born around 1315), an English noblewoman and the wife of Sir Thomas de Wodehouse. Another early bearer of the name was Alison Walpole (1534-1583), an English lady-in-waiting and the mother of Sir Edward Walpole.

In the 17th century, Alison Farmer (1622-1675) was an English Quaker preacher and writer. In the 18th century, Alison Rutherford (1712-1794) was a Scottish novelist and poet, best known for her novel "The Solitary."

In more recent history, Alison Uttley (1884-1976) was an English writer famous for her children's books, including the "Little Grey Rabbit" series. Alison Lurie (born 1926) is an American novelist and academic who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1985 for her novel "Foreign Affairs."