Total births
29,730
Girls' name · since 1944
Alyson
Alyson has 29,730 recorded births since 1944 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1232
- among girls today
- 29,730
- born since 1944
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
29,730 babies have been named Alyson since 1944, making it today's #1232 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Alyson recorded 29,730 times among girls since 1944, holding rank #1232 nationally today, ahead of 93% 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 1944 to 2025.
- #1232 among girls today
- 29,730 born since 1944
- 1990s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alyson is currently the #1232 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 29,730 born since 1944, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1232
- among girls today
- 29,730
- born since 1944
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Alyson vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1232
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Alyson was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
741 babies were named Alyson in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Alyson compares
29,730 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Alyson's all-time total is 78x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alyson | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,730 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 741 | 48 | 19,840 |
Alyson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Alyson splits its recorded history at 1985: 74% of all births land in the more recent half, 26% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1944 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1990 peak of 741 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Alyson at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#1,232
Active since
1944
Alyson popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1944–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 741
- Annual births at peak, across 82 years of records
Alyson popularity over time - boys
10 total births recorded since 1986 (Alyson as boys' name)
Alyson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Alyson's strongest decade.
6,614 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Alyson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 118
1940s
118 births
- 1950s 585
1950s
585 births
- 1960s 1,412
1960s
1,412 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,367 births
- 1980s
1980s
5,564 births
- 1990s
1990s
6,614 births
- 2000s
2000s
6,397 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,444 births
- 2020s 1,229
2020s
1,229 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 6,614 births (22% of all-time use).
How Alyson 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 Alyson's total volume
Alyson vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Alyson by state
Where Alyson concentrates geographically, total births since 1944
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,445 | 11.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,573 | 8.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 2,191 | 7.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 1,410 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Florida | | 1,253 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 1,235 | 4.2% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 1,191 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,025 | 3.4% |
California share of Alyson's total US births 11.6%
Even split
3,445 of 29,730 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Alyson appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alyson? ▼
29,730 babies have been named Alyson since 1944. It currently ranks #1232 among girls. The peak year was 1990 with 741 births.
When was Alyson most popular? ▼
Alyson was most popular in the 1990s decade with 6,614 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Alyson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alyson are California (3,445 births), Texas (2,573 births), New York (2,191 births).
How long has the name Alyson been used? ▼
Records for Alyson go back to 1944, giving 82 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Alyson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alyssa, Alyce, Alycia, Alysha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Alyson's data
- Alyson's decade-level peak was the 1990s (6,614 total births); usage has since declined to 1,229 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Alysons (3,445 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 Alyson
Nearby Names Like Alyson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alyson
Alyssa Girl
#399 314,606 births
Alyce Girl
#3461 17,539 births
Alycia Girl
#4313 10,168 births
Alysha Girl
#3347 9,601 births
Alysia Girl
#4798 9,498 births
Compare Alyson side by side: Alyson vs Alyssa Alyson vs Alyce Alyson vs Alycia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alyson
Tillie #1231
15,738 births · Peak 1915
Heavenly #1233
5,485 births · Peak 2016
Gianni #1230
3,429 births · Peak 2021
Aleyna #1234
2,938 births · Peak 2023
Zaira #1229
4,986 births · Peak 2025
Mazikeen #1235
1,545 births · Peak 2021
Amal #1228
4,141 births · Peak 2021
Rya #1236
1,909 births · Peak 2024
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, 1944–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alyson: #1232 Girls' Name - 29,730 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alyson. 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 Alyson 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.