Find out how popular the last name Alison is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alison.

Alison, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alison in America

Alison is the 32123rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alison surname appeared 718 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Alison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alison to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alison

The surname Alison originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French personal name "Alis" or "Alice," which in turn comes from the Old German name "Adalhaidis." This name means "noble" or "nobility."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alison can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Alisun." This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name Alison became particularly prevalent in the county of Northumberland, located in the northeast of England near the Scottish border. It is believed that the name may have been introduced to the region by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The surname Alison has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Alison's Bank in Cumbria and Alison's Wood in Northamptonshire. These place names likely originated from individuals named Alison who lived or owned land in those areas.

One notable historical figure with the surname Alison was Sir Archibald Alison (1792-1867), a Scottish historian and author best known for his work "History of Europe during the French Revolution." Another was Sir Walter Alison (1565-1638), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland.

Other notable individuals with the surname Alison include:

• William Pulteney Alison (1790-1859), a Scottish physician and medical writer.
• Richard Alison (1612-1679), an English clergyman and author.
• Archibald Alison (1757-1839), a Scottish Episcopal clergyman and author.
• Samuel Scott Alison (1816-1896), a Scottish-American physician and author.

The surname Alison has been present throughout various regions of England and Scotland for centuries, reflecting its deep historical roots and diverse origins. While its exact derivation is uncertain, it is clear that the name has been a part of the cultural and historical fabric of these nations for many generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alison

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alison.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alison was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alison has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alison was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alison, please contact us.

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