Explore the Family Name Allison
The meaning of Allison
1. English and Scottish: patronymic from the Middle English female personal name Alice, Alis (see Allis) + -son, meaning ‘Alice’s son’. 2. English and Scottish: from the Middle English female personal name Alison, a common pet form of Alice, Alis. See Allis and compare Ellison. 3. Scottish: in some cases, a late variant of Allanson (see also Allinson). 4. Scottish: variant of Callison, a shortened form of McAlison, a Gaelic patronymic based on the personal name Alison (see 2 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Allison in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Allison" showed a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 590th most popular, but by 2010, it had dropped to 646th, representing a 9.49% decrease in rank. However, the absolute count of individuals with the Allison surname increased over this decade from 51,504 to 52,701, showing a growth of 2.32%. The proportion of the surname per 100,000 people also decreased by 6.39%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #590 | #646 | -9.49% |
| Count | 51,504 | 52,701 | 2.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 19.09 | 17.87 | -6.39% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Allison
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Allison" also experienced shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. People identifying as White held the majority, although their percentage decreased slightly from 83.01% to 80.72%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black saw a small increase, going from 12.22% to 13.10%. Individuals of Hispanic ethnicity also rose from 1.52% to 2.28%, marking the largest increase of 50%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native saw modest increases, while those identifying with two or more races also saw an uptick from 1.57% to 1.99%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.01% | 80.72% | -2.76% |
| Black | 12.22% | 13.1% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.52% | 2.28% | 50% |
| Two or More Races | 1.57% | 1.99% | 26.75% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.23% | 1.34% | 8.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.57% | 26.67% |
Allison ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Allison is British & Irish, which comprises 54.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.8%) and Eastern European (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.2% |
| French & German | 23.8% |
| Eastern European | 4.2% |
| Other | 17.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Allison
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Allison have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
What Allison haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Allison is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS6889 and R-CTS4065, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Henderson, Phillips, Lloyd, Matthews, Richards, Jones, Price, Edwards, Shaw, Lewis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Allison surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Allison have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Allison" Surname 42.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Allison" Surname 22.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Allison" Surname 21.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Allison" Surname 34.2%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Allison?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Allison are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition