Allison

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A personal first name, mostly given to girls, that can also be a family surname in English-speaking countries
2. A given name commonly chosen for girls, which may also appear as a surname passed down through families
3. Used as a first name for women and sometimes as a family name, particularly across English-speaking cultures

Etymology: Allison is a surname that became a given name, and its shape gives away its story: it is built from a shortened form of a common name plus the suffix "-son," meaning "son of." The name it started from is most likely Alan, Alexander or Alice, with the diminutive ending added in Middle English, so the sense is roughly "little Al's son" or "little Alice's child," depending on which name lies behind it. The surname then followed the familiar English path of turning family names into first names. Many English surnames ending in "-son" were later given to children, and Allison is a clear example, first as a surname and only afterwards as a name for boys and girls alike.