Allison Family Tree research resources
Explore the detail of the Allison Genealogy using the resources below. We hope you find these sites useful whilst you are researching your Family History !
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 8511 people with the Allison surname? In that year Allison was ranked number 480 for popularity in the UK. |
1921 England and Wales Census records are now available!
On 6 January 2022 the 1921 England and Wales Census records were made available online via the FindMyPast website. The records have been indexed and are searchable via the usual methods. These records are only viewable on a pay-per-view basis and are not included in any of FindMyPast's existing subscriptions with the exception of the 12 month premium subscription.
Allison records on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out your Allison family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for the Allison family. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for the Allison family. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for the Allison family. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for the Allison family. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for the Allison family. |
Historical References
"ALISON, ALLISON. (1) usually explained as a metronymic, 'son of Alice,' but more probably it is 'son of ELLIS,' q.v. 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, n, p. 177, 271). (3) On the other hand, with reference to Scottish Alison or Allison, Mr. Latin 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., n, 134), Thomas Alesoun appears in Lochtoun, Scone, 1586 (Scon, p. 232), James Allasone was bailie of Ranfrew, 1688 (RFC., 3. ser. xm, 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, Allesoun, Aliesoune, 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 Provensal 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 -n probably represents the diminutive ending. Helise Mackcoulogh appears in 1478 (Sc. Ant., in, p. 105). Elison Dalrymple was spouse of Gavin Fullarton, 1514 (Macfarlane, Gaelic C., n, 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), ana Ellesone Tayis appears in Lanark, 1566 (Mill, Plaus, p. 262); Elison Begbie jilted the poet Robert Burns. See also ELLISON. 0 0 ALLISON. See wider ALISON. "(The surnames of Scotland. George Fraser Black, 1866-1948)
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Allison ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Allison Tree?
Visit our Allison DNA page to find out more.
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for the Allison Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Allison Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources listed below it will be possible to locate a birth record and, from that record, a birth certificate may be obtainable which is likely to list the names of the parents, therefore taking you back another generation. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Allison family tree.
Search Allison Parish Records at Find My Past.
Study the UK registered births, marriages and deaths for the Allison family name using the FreeBMD database.
Investigate Genealogy Bank for Allison family records.
Look at MyHeritage for Allison family data.
Search the LDS Database for records of the Allison family.
Research the Allison surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Allison Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 12084 people with the Allison surname in the UK? Allison is now ranked number 474 for popularity in the UK. |
Allison Family Tree Databases
Explore WikiTree for user contributed Allison family records. Collaboration is encouraged so that accuracy of Allison data can be verified or corrected by other users.
Search MyTrees for information on the Allison family and people looking to contact living Allison relations.
Study GENi for Allison family records.
Find your Irish Allison relatives on findmypast.ie
Allison Forums
Research the Allison surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 69880 people with the Allison surname in the USA? Allison is ranked number 134 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Allison Databases
Check out the Ellis Island Database for information on the Allison family. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Use the Surname Map project to look at the current distribution of the Allison surname in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Romania.
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