This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Alice.'

Richard fil. Alice, Oxfordshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Nicholas fil. Alicie, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Isabel fil. Alice, Oxfordshire, ibid.

John Alicesone. State Paper Office Publications.

Richard Alsesone, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

(a) Bapt. 'the son of Alice.' from the popular diminutive Alison; compare Marion from Mary. Gibbon from Gib; i.e. Gilbert), Beaton from Beatrice, &c.Stolen from Fore-bears

'This Alison answered: Who is there That knocketh so?': Chaucer. C. T. 3788.

'Item.—To Symkyn, and Watkya, and Alison Meek, servantes of John of Bolton': Test Ebor. iii. 21 (Surtees Soc).

Alisceon de Tuxforth, Yorkshire Testamenta Eboracensia (Surtees Society).

Alison Gelyot. Rolls of Parliament.

Alison Wrangwish, Yorkshire: Corpus Christi Guild (Surtees Society).

Johannes Alysson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

1590. Baptised — Mary, d. Abraham Allyson: St. James, Clerkenwell.

Thomas Alysson, rector of Melton Constable, Norfolk, 1447: History of Norfolk.

(3) Bapt. 'the son of Allen,' corrupted from Allenson. Such a corruption was bound to take place; compare Pattinson and Pattison. There can be no doubt many of our Allisons are traceable to this source. For early instances, v. Allenson.

1617-8. Leonard Allensone and Christian Stavelly: Marriage Lic. (London).

1618. William Alleson and Elizabeth Broomer: Marriage Lic. (London).

Allison has ramified very strongly in the United States.

(1) usually explained as a metronymic, 'son of Alice,' but more probably it is 'son of Ellis,' which see. Lower (s.v. Alison) says: "It may be remarked that the vulgar pronunciation of Ellis in the south is exactly the same as that of the female personal name Alice." (2) In some few cases Alison and Allison may be forms of Allanson. In 1559 a woman Jonet Alysone was also referred to as Jonet Alanesone (Cupar-Angus, II, p. 177,271). (3) On the other hand, with reference to Scottish Alison or Allison, Mr. L. A. Morrison in his The History of the Alison or Allison family in Europe and America, Boston, 1893, says that it is "a fact beyond doubt that Alison comes from Alister or Alexander, and, further, that the Alisons are offshoots of the famous clan of MacAlister" (p. 4), and that the origin of the name is due to two sons of Alexander MacAlister of Loupe who with some of their followers escaped to the parish of Avondale, Lanarkshire, during the war of Independence, and there later their name was changed from MacAlister to Alison (p. 18). He further states that "the names Alison, Allison, Alinson, Allinson, and of Elison, Ellison, Elissen, Ellysen, are found thus spelled in the early history of some branches of the present Allison family. They are interchangeably mixed. The name was often spelled Ellison and Allison when referring to the same individual" (p. 5). This may have been so in some instances, but the claim as a whole is, I think, too sweeping. Patrick Alissone del counte de Berewyk rendered homage, 1296 (RR). Peter Alesoun was a witness in Brechin, 1490 (REB,, II, 134), Thomas Alesoun appears in Lochtoun, Scone, 1586 (Scon, p. 232), James Allasone was bailie of Ranfrew, 1688 (RPC., 3. ser. XIII, p. 243), and Gabriel Alason was bailie of the burgh of Dumfries, 1693 (Retours, Kirkcudbright, 375). Other early spellings are Alesone 1543, Alesoun 1585, Aliesoune 1616, Aliesone, Allasoune, Allisone, and Elisone 1668, Alizon (in Workman MS.), Allasone 1551, Allasoun 1636, Allasson 1671, Allanson 1551: Aillieson, Alisone, Aleson, Allason, Alleson, Ailesoun, Allesoune, Allsoun. (4) Alison as the forename of a woman began to make its appearance about the beginning of the fifteenth century. Miss Yonge (2. ed., p. 405—406) thinks it is from Aloyse (the feminine form of Provencal Aloys), whose correspondence with Abelard was the theme of so much sentiment, and whose fame, brought to Scotland by Scottish Archers in the French service, was the origin of the numerous Alisons found there. The 'll' probably represents the diminutive ending. Helise Mackcoulogh appears in 1478 (Sc. Ant., III, p. 105). Elison Dalrymple was spouse of Gavin Fullarton, 1514 (Macfarlane, G. C., II, p. 342), Alison Home was prioress of North Berwick, 1524; Alysone or Helysoune Rouche slew her guidson Alexander Cant, burgess of Edinburgh, 1535 (Diur. Occ., p. 19); Allison Allasoune appears in Glasgow, 1554 (Protocols, I), and Ellesone Tayis appears in Lanark, 1566 (Mill, Plays, p. 262); Elison Begbie jilted the poet Robert Bums. See also Ellison.

1 Alice's Son: Alice, a diminutive form of Adelaide: v. under Addy2.

2 Allie’s or Alley’s Son: v. Alley2.

3 confused with Ellison, q.v.

4 for Allenson, q.v.

(Scottish, English) The son of Ellis (God is salvation); corruption of Allanson, q.v.; the son of Alis, a short form of Alister or Alexander (helper of mankind); the son of Alice (noble cheer), occasionally a masculine name.

William Alis occurs in Domesday as a chief tenant in Hampshire under the Conqueror, and he was probably the patriarch of the large tribe of the Ellises, as well as of the Ellisons, Alisons, FitzEllises, &c. See under Ellis. It may be remarked that the vulgar pronunciation of Ellis in the South is exactly the same as that of the female personal name Alice. The prevalence of the Christian name Archibald, and the use of the fleur-de-lis by the Alisons support this conjecture.

Bernard de Alençon who held several lordships from Hervey de Bourges, Suffolk (Domesd. 442,442 b), belonged to the family of the Counts of Alençon, descended from Ivo of Belesme, c. 940. He was probably brother of Geoffry, Lord of Mortagne, son of Rotrou, son of Geoffry Viscount of Chateaudun, Mortagne, and Nogent, nephew of William I., Count of Alençon. The descendants of Ber­nard (who bore three eagles on a fesse, which nearly resembled the arms of the Montgomerys, Earls of Alençon, and also three fleur-de- lys, equally borne by the Mont­gomerys), were seated 13th cent. in York, where Richard de Alençon or Alazun held two fees of the honour of Lincoln (Testa, 365). He was living 1235 (Ib. 349). From Yorkshire a branch extended to Scotland, from which descend the baronets Alison. Of this name was the eminent historian Sir Archibald Alison.