Total births
319,119
Girls' name · since 1908
Allison
Since 1908, U.S. Social Security records show 319,119 babies named Allison, peaking in 1994. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #99
- among girls today
- 319,119
- born since 1908
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other girls
Allison currently ranks #99 among girls' names in America, with 319,119 babies recorded since 1908.
Social Security Administration records show Allison recorded 319,119 times among girls since 1908, holding rank #99 nationally today, ahead of 99.4% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1908 to 2025.
- #99 among girls today
- 319,119 born since 1908
- 1990s peak decade
- 99.4% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Allison is currently the #99 girls' name in America, more common than 99.4% of girls - 319,119 born since 1908, peaking in the 1990s.
- #99
- among girls today
- 319,119
- born since 1908
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other girls
Allison vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#99
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.4% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Allison was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
8,150 babies were named Allison in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Allison compares
319,119 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Allison's all-time total is 835x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Allison | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 319,119 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 8,150 | 48 | 19,840 |
Allison's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Allison's SSA record in two at 1967 and the more recent half accounts for 94% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 6%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1910, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1994 peak of 8,150, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Allison at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
1994
Current rank
#99
Active since
1908
Allison popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 8,150
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Allison popularity over time - boys
3,825 total births recorded since 1880 (Allison as boys' name)
Allison by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Allison's strongest decade.
74,433 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Allison births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 145
1910s
145 births
- 1920s 227
1920s
227 births
- 1930s 236
1930s
236 births
- 1940s 680
1940s
680 births
- 1950s 4,553
1950s
4,553 births
- 1960s 16,525
1960s
16,525 births
- 1970s
1970s
34,158 births
- 1980s
1980s
62,327 births
- 1990s
1990s
74,433 births
- 2000s
2000s
59,966 births
- 2010s
2010s
49,003 births
- 2020s 16,860
2020s
16,860 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 74,433 births (23% of all-time use).
How Allison compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Allison's total volume
Allison vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Allison by state
Where Allison concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 34,124 | 10.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 26,371 | 8.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 21,895 | 6.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 15,483 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 14,447 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 13,918 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Florida | | 12,859 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 10,845 | 3.4% |
California share of Allison's total US births 10.7%
Even split
34,124 of 319,119 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Allison appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Allison? ▼
Allison has been given to 319,119 babies in the U.S. since 1908, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #99 as of the latest data. 8,150 babies were born in 1994, its single highest year.
When was Allison most popular? ▼
Allison was most popular in the 1990s decade with 74,433 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Allison most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Allison are California (34,124 births), Texas (26,371 births), New York (21,895 births).
How long has the name Allison been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Allison since 1908 -- 118 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Allison? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Allyson, Allie, Ally, Allene, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Allison's data
- Allison's decade-level peak was the 1990s (74,433 total births); usage has since declined to 16,860 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Allisons (34,124 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Allison
Nearby Names Like Allison
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Allison
Allyson Girl
#917 53,758 births
Allie Girl
#554 53,251 births
Ally Girl
#1878 10,230 births
Allene Girl
8,762 births
Allyssa Girl
#15713 6,675 births
Compare Allison side by side: Allison vs Allyson Allison vs Allie Allison vs Ally
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Allison
Lucia #98
59,335 births · Peak 2025
Hailey #100
181,434 births · Peak 2003
Lydia #97
187,039 births · Peak 2014
Ailany #101
11,160 births · Peak 2025
Quinn #96
52,503 births · Peak 2016
Ariana #102
120,380 births · Peak 2014
Aaliyah #95
109,971 births · Peak 2012
Cora #103
156,028 births · Peak 2019
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1908–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Allison: #99 Girls' Name - 319,119 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/allison. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Allison draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.