Allison (surname)
Encyclopedia
Allison is a family name
of English and Scottish origin.
When used as a given name it is traditionally masculine, as opposed to the feminine name Alison
.
Allison is interchangeable with the surname Ellison, both surnames holding strong links to the county of Yorkshire, England.
The earliest recording of the surname in the British isles is English.
Leonard Allison Morrison states in his History of the Alison and Allison family that the family name Allison is interchangeable with Allenson and Alençon. He alludes to a Castle Alençon where the Dukes of Alençon had a family seat in Britain, this family branch being schisms of the Counts and Dukes of Alençon
, of Alençon
in northern France.
This by no means is the only understanding of the origin of the Allison surname. Records of Danish invasions in the ancient history of Britain show that Ali and Eli were common forms of patronymic
surnames; this in turn could have given way to Allison and Ellison.
The subject of which surname is from which origin is lost in the mixture of the Allison and Ellison surnames over time due to phonetical changing
, substituting 'a' for 'e'. There is also speculation over a Scandinavian origin for the surname Allison. A connection to Olaf
sen or Olsen
has been speculated with many northern regions of the British Isles
having encounters with Scandinavia
n culture and peoples. More elementary is the idea that Allison and Ellison are derived from the surname Ellis
, with the meaning 'son of Ellis'—a commonly accepted origin in many genealogical books and surname indexes.
Allison
Allyson
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
of English and Scottish origin.
When used as a given name it is traditionally masculine, as opposed to the feminine name Alison
Alison (name)
Alison is a female given name. It was originally a medieval Norman nickname for Alice, meaning "truth" or "noble". Variations include Alisson, Allison, Allyson, Alyson, Alysson, Alicen and Alycen, with nicknames Allie, Alley, Ali, Ally, Aly, and Alli....
.
Allison is interchangeable with the surname Ellison, both surnames holding strong links to the county of Yorkshire, England.
The earliest recording of the surname in the British isles is English.
Leonard Allison Morrison states in his History of the Alison and Allison family that the family name Allison is interchangeable with Allenson and Alençon. He alludes to a Castle Alençon where the Dukes of Alençon had a family seat in Britain, this family branch being schisms of the Counts and Dukes of Alençon
Counts and dukes of Alençon
Several counts and then royal dukes of Alençon have figured in French history. The title has been awarded to a younger brother of the French sovereign.-History:...
, of Alençon
Alençon
Alençon is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon .-History:...
in northern France.
This by no means is the only understanding of the origin of the Allison surname. Records of Danish invasions in the ancient history of Britain show that Ali and Eli were common forms of patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
surnames; this in turn could have given way to Allison and Ellison.
The subject of which surname is from which origin is lost in the mixture of the Allison and Ellison surnames over time due to phonetical changing
Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in England between 1350 and 1500.The Great Vowel Shift was first studied by Otto Jespersen , a Danish linguist and Anglicist, who coined the term....
, substituting 'a' for 'e'. There is also speculation over a Scandinavian origin for the surname Allison. A connection to Olaf
Olaf
Olaf is a Germanic name of Proto-Germanic origin, meaning "ancestor's heirloom". It was borrowed into Old Irish and spelled Amlaíb. It may refer to:-Kings:Norse:*Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf, petty king...
sen or Olsen
Olsen (surname)
Olsen is a Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Ole". The surname Olesen has a similar origin. The Swedish parallel form is Olsson - "son of Ola"...
has been speculated with many northern regions of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
having encounters with Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n culture and peoples. More elementary is the idea that Allison and Ellison are derived from the surname Ellis
Ellis
Ellis is a first name and surname of Welshoriginal spelling. At the time of the British Census of 1881, its relative frequency was highest in Merioneth , followed by Flintshire, Denbighshire, Caernarfonshire, Montgomeryshire, Anglesey, Devon, Kinross-shire, Shropshire and Yorkshire...
, with the meaning 'son of Ellis'—a commonly accepted origin in many genealogical books and surname indexes.
List of persons with the surname
Alison- Archibald Alison (author), Scottish priest and essayist
- Sir Archibald Alison, 1st BaronetSir Archibald Alison, 1st BaronetSir Archibald Alison, 1st Baronet FRSE was a Scottish advocate and historian. He held several prominent legal appointments. He was the younger son of the Episcopalian cleric and author Archibald Alison...
, historian - Sir Archibald Alison, 2nd BaronetSir Archibald Alison, 2nd BaronetGeneral Sir Archibald Alison, 2nd Baronet GCB was a Scottish soldier who achieved high office in the British Army in the 1880s.-Military career:...
, British Army officer - Charles Hugh AlisonCharles Hugh AlisonCharles Hugh Alison was a British golf course architect. He worked predominantly with Harry Colt, John Morrison, and Alister MacKenzie, in 1928 forming Colt, Alison & Morrison Ltd....
, British golf course architect - Charlie AlisonCharlie AlisonCharles Hugh Alison was a first-class cricketer who played four matches for Somerset County Cricket Club between 1902 and 1905. He also appeared in the Minor Counties Championship for Buckinghamshire in 1911. He made his highest first-class score of 20 against Oxford University in 1904...
, cricketer - Dorothy AlisonDorothy AlisonDorothy Alison was an Australian stage, film and television actress.She was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, and was educated at Sydney Girls High School. She moved to London, England in 1949 to further her career...
, Australian actress - Ewen AlisonEwen AlisonEwen William Alison was an Independent Conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He won the Auckland seat of Waitemata in the 1902 general election, and held it to 1908, when he retired....
, New Zealand politician - Francis AlisonFrancis AlisonFrancis Alison was a leading minister in the Synod of Philadelphia during The Old Side-New Side Controversy-Early life and education:...
, minister in Synod of Philadelphia - Gilbert AlisonGilbert AlisonGilbert Alison is an Australian politician. He served as a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for the seat of Maryborough from 1971 until his defeat in 1977, before returning at the 1983 election as a member of the National Party of Australia...
, Australian politician - James AlisonJames AlisonJames Alison is a Catholic theologian and author. He is noted for his work on gay issues and the application of René Girard's anthropological theory in theology....
, Catholic priest, theologian and author - Jane AlisonJane AlisonJane Alison was born in Canberra, Australia, and spent two years in Australia as a small child, growing up mainly in the United States as a child of diplomatic parents. She attended public schools in Washington, D.C., and then earned a B.A. in classics from Princeton University in 1983...
, Australian novelist - Joan Alison, writer
- John R. AlisonJohn R. Alison- External links :* The All-American Airman, Walter J. Boyne, March 2000*John R. Alison Papers, 1945–1957*John R. Alison Collection, including extended video interview available online.*" John R. Alison Enshrinee Biography...
, American air force general - Michael AlisonMichael AlisonMichael James Hugh Alison was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.Born in Margate, Kent, Alison was educated at Eton College, Wadham College, Oxford and Ridley Hall, Cambridge...
, British politician - Mitch AlisonMitch AlisonMitch Alison is an award-winning integrated writer, creative director and strategist from South Africa .-Early life and education:...
, writer - Roberta AlisonRoberta AlisonRoberta Alison Baumgardner was a noted American female tennis player....
, American tennis player - William Alison, Scottish physician and philanthropist
Allison
- Allison familyAllison familyHudson Joshua Creighton , his wife, Bessie Waldo Allison , their daughter Helen Loraine Allison and their son, Hudson Trevor Allison were passengers on board the RMS Titanic, which struck an...
, passengers on board the RMS Titanic - Anne AllisonAnne AllisonAnne Allison is a professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University in the United States, specializing in contemporary Japanese society. She wrote the book Nightwork on hostess clubs and Japanese corporate culture after having worked at a hostess club in Tokyo.She received her BA from the...
, cultural anthropologist - Ben AllisonBen AllisonBen Allison is an American jazz double bassist and composer born in New Haven, Connecticut.His groups include The Ben Allison Band, Peace Pipe, the Ben Allison Quartet, Medicine Wheel, the Kush Trio, Man Size Safe, and the Herbie Nichols Project...
, American jazz, rock bassist/composer - Bernard AllisonBernard AllisonBernard Allison is a blues guitarist based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.His father, Luther Allison was a Chicago blues musician...
, blues musician - Bobby AllisonBobby AllisonRobert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
, race car driver - Davey AllisonDavey AllisonDavid Carl "Davey" Allison was a NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the Winston Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the eldest of four children born to Bobby Allison and wife Judy...
, race car driver - David AllisonDavid AllisonDavid Allison may refer to:*Davey Allison , NASCAR race car driver*David Allison , 2000 Canadian Federal Election Communist Party candidate*David Allison , English Premier League soccer official...
- David Wright AllisonDavid Wright AllisonDavid Wright Allison was a Canadian politician, farmer, manufacturer and speculator. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal in an 1883 by-election representing the riding of Lennox. He was later elected to Lennox as a Liberal in 1891...
, Canadian politician - Dean AllisonDean AllisonDean Allison is a Canadian politician. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2004 federal election for the new riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook...
, current Canadian politician - Donnie AllisonDonnie AllisonDunkiny "Donnie" Allison is a former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. He was part of the "Alabama Gang," and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison...
, race car driver - Dorothy AllisonDorothy AllisonDorothy Allison is an American writer, speaker, and member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers.-Early life:Dorothy E. Allison was born on April 11, 1949 in Greenville, South Carolina to Ruth Gibson Allison, who was fifteen at the time. Ruth was a poor and unmarried mother who worked as a...
, American novelist - Dot AllisonDot AllisonDot Allison is a Scottish singer and songwriter, who has made significant inroads in electronic music circles, most notably as a result of her tenure fronting the band One Dove in the early 1990s...
, Scottish singer/songwriter - Elmer AllisonElmer AllisonElmer T. Allison was an American socialist political activist and newspaper editor. He is best remembered as the longtime editor of The Cleveland Socialist and The Toiler, forerunners of the official organ of the Communist Party, USA, The Daily Worker.-Early years:Elmer T...
, American radical activist and newspaper publisher - Graham T. AllisonGraham T. AllisonGraham Tillett Allison, Jr. is an American political scientist and professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He is renowned for his contribution in the late 1960s and early 1970s to the bureaucratic analysis of decision making, especially during times of crisis...
, American political scientist - James A. AllisonJames A. AllisonJames Ashbury Allison , born in Marcellus, Michigan, was an American entrepreneur and businessman. He was the inventor of the Allison Perfection Fountain Pen and with Carl G. Fisher a founder of Prest-O-Lite, a manufacturer of automobile headlights. With Carl G. Fisher, Frank H. Wheeler, and Arthur C...
, American businessman and industrialist - James AllisonJames Allison, Jr.James Allison, Jr. was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.James Allison, Jr. was born near Elkton, Maryland. He moved with his parents to Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1774. At seventeen years of age he enrolled in the school of David Johnson of Beaver,...
, American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania - Jason AllisonJason AllisonJason Paul Allison is a professional ice hockey centre who is currently an unrestricted free agent. Allison is most notably known for his former role with the Boston Bruins of the NHL, for which he briefly served as team captain....
, professional ice hockey player - Jeremy AllisonJeremy AllisonJeremy Allison is a computer programmer known for his contributions to the free software community, notably to Samba, a re-implementation of SMB/CIFS networking protocol, released under the GNU General Public License....
, programmer - Jerry AllisonJerry AllisonJ.I. Allison is an American musician, best known for being the drummer for The Crickets and co-writer of their Buddy Holly hit "Peggy Sue"....
, drummer and songwriter with The CricketsThe CricketsThe Crickets are a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day", released in 1957.... - John AllisonJohn Allison (artist)John Allison is the writer and artist of the webcomics Bobbins , Scary Go Round and Bad Machinery . John described Scary Go Round as "a comic that I've been making since 2002. It started off as a comic about barmaids Tessa and Rachel, then it became more about Shelley Winters and her bizarre...
(born 1976), author of the webcomics Bobbins, Scary Go Round and Bad Machinery - Luther AllisonLuther AllisonLuther Allison was an American blues guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas and moved with his family, at age twelve, to Chicago in 1951. He taught himself guitar and began listening to blues extensively. Three years later he began hanging outside blues nightclubs with the hopes of being...
, blues musician - Lyn AllisonLyn AllisonLynette Fay "Lyn" Allison is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian Senate from 1996 to 2008, representing the state of Victoria. She was the last federal parliamentary leader of the Australian Democrats....
, Australian senator - Malcolm AllisonMalcolm AllisonMalcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
, English football manager - Mose AllisonMose AllisonMose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
, American jazz pianist and singer - Richard AllisonRichard AllisonRichard Alison was an English composer. He wrote de la Tromba, a fine broken consort piece which has several professional recordings and first became well known due to the Julian Bream Consort....
, English composer - Robert AllisonRobert AllisonRobert Allison may refer to:* Bob Allison , professional baseball player* Robert Allison , United States Representative from Pennsylvania* Robert Allison , founder of Menno, Pennsylvania...
- William Henry AllisonWilliam Henry AllisonWilliam Henry Allison was a Canadian politician and school lands commissioner. He was elected as a Conservative to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1878 election in the riding of Hants and re-elected in 1882.Allison was the son of James Whidden Allison, who had served as a member of the...
, Canadian politician
Allyson
- June AllysonJune AllysonJune Allyson was an American film and television actress, popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was a major MGM contract star. Allyson won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in Too Young to Kiss . From 1959–1961, she hosted and occasionally starred in her own CBS anthology...
, American film and television actress
See also
- Alison (name)Alison (name)Alison is a female given name. It was originally a medieval Norman nickname for Alice, meaning "truth" or "noble". Variations include Alisson, Allison, Allyson, Alyson, Alysson, Alicen and Alycen, with nicknames Allie, Alley, Ali, Ally, Aly, and Alli....
- Alison BaronetsAlison Baronets- Alison of Possil House, Devon :* Sir Archibald Alison, 1st Baronet.* Sir Archibald Alison, 2nd Baronet.* Sir Archibald Alison, 3rd Baronet.* Sir Archibald Alison, 4th Baronet.* Sir Frederick Black Alison, 5th Baronet....
- AllisonAllisonAllison is a family name of English and Scottish origin.When used as a given name it is traditionally masculine, as opposed to the feminine name Alison....
(disambiguation page) - AllysonAllysonAllyson is a given name and family name, a variant form of Alison.-People with the given name Allyson:* Allyson Araújo Santos , Brazilian football player* Allyson Felix , track and field sprint athlete...
- Alyson (given name)Alyson (given name)-People with the given name Alyson:* Alyson , American singer* Alyson Annan , former field hockey player* Alyson Bailes , former English diplomat* Alyson Court , Canadian actress...
- EllisonEllisonEllison is a surname, and may refer to* Andy Ellison, British musician* Atiyyah Ellison , American football player* Brooke Ellison * Casey Ellison, American actor* Chase Ellison , American actor...
- Olson (surname)Olson (surname)Olson is a common surname of Scandinavian origin that literally means "son of Olof or Ole". Olson may refer to:-Politics and government:* Alec G. Olson , former member of the US House of Representatives from Minnesota...