# Help me spell my daughter's name! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316 "2003-01-27T19:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/41 "2003-01-28T02:07:29Z")
Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/42 "2003-01-28T02:22:39Z")
My daughter will be named **411i50n** ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/43 "2003-01-28T02:30:52Z")
Alijson. Adds a definite Netherlands flavor to it. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/44 "2003-01-28T03:25:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*Of course, if you’re looking forward to having a LOT of sons-in-law, you should certainly go with “Alisoun.” \*\* 😃 (Personally, I like the one-L spelling…maybe because it’s the name of one of my best friends…) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/45 "2003-01-28T03:31:38Z")
Alison. It’s the traditional spelling and no one will screw it up. It’s easy to say "Alison, one ‘l’ " when giving it to someone who needs to write it out (although that goes for ALLison, too). \My Safeway has taken to calling you by name when they give you the receipt, and what was once a simple thank you is now a excrutiating lesson in how many ways my simple last name can be mispronounced. If they go to the trouble of asking ME to pronounce it, which they do often, I tell them “Bob Smith”\ ---
**Author:** ![Happyjoelucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Happyjoelucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happyjoelucky)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/46 "2003-01-28T03:31:39Z")
Alison ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/47 "2003-01-28T04:57:55Z")
I have heard that the Allison spelling denotes a last name (like Dorothy Allison) and that Alison is the regular spelling for a first name. True? who knows. But I like Alison best in any case. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/48 "2003-01-28T05:02:51Z")
Alyson is the prettiest. And it’s unusual, but not TOO “out there”. A nice balance. All she has to do when specifying how to spell it, is say; “with a y”. Hardly acrobatics. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/49 "2003-01-28T05:08:24Z")
I like Alison, too. Not only is it simple, straightforward and easy to pronounce, it has the added advantage of looking sophisticated and minimalist in these days of “Kayleigh” and “Mikhaylah”. (My daughter’s godfather is also a Boy Named Alison - we call him Alphonse.) ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/50 "2003-01-28T05:30:01Z")
“Allison Paige” is beautiful! I’m glad that you didn’t choose the _y_ spelling. Sometimes there is just no room for a _y_ or a _g_ when you are signing something at the very bottom of a page. And it will be prettier when she signs autographs. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/51 "2003-01-28T06:19:43Z")
Allison or Alison. The minimalist in me likes the single L in “Alison”, but by habit I always spell it “Allison” (no idea why, not sure how the only A(l)lison I know spells it) Allyson might be cute for a little girl, but it would be silly on a 45 year old woman, or an 80 year old grandmother. Allison is ageless. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/52 "2003-01-28T06:23:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Morgainelf \* > \*\*Elvis Costello spelled it Alison, if that holds any weight with you. \*\* I’ve been singing it all the way through the thread. I’ll probably be singing it all day tomorrow too. ---
**Author:** ![23skidoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f04885/32.png) [@23skidoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/23skidoo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/53 "2003-01-28T06:57:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mske \* > \*\*(Watch it be a boy… we couldn’t decide on a boy’s name) \*\* Ellison. ---
**Author:** ![mske](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mske](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mske)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/54 "2003-01-28T12:35:37Z")
Thank you all for your comments! A running total of the “voting” so far (some posters voted for more than one): Alison - 18 Allison - 11 Alyson - 6 Allyson - 4 Alice-on/Alesson/Aylysyn/Alijson/Allisun/Al/Laura/Bob - 1 each I wonder what the more common spelling of the name is? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/55 "2003-01-30T02:05:46Z")
Googling these names I get: Alison- 1,690,000hits Allison- 2,320,000 hits Alyson- 239,000 hits Allyson-146,000 hits Alice-on-17,300 hits Alesson-1,100 hits Allisun- 554 hits Alijson- 2 hits Aylysyn- 0 hits So you want common, go Alison. Uncommon, go with my choice of Alijson. Terminally unique, go Aylysyn. And save up for her therapy. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/56 "2003-01-30T03:05:38Z")
I have read through this thread…and right now the word :Allison: and its variations mean nothing to me anymore…hehehe I had both an Alison and and Allison in my class as a kid. Alison was a nicer person, but Allison was funnier. Both were pretty. My cousin’s name is Allison, and she is pretty, nice and funny. And I just like that spelling more. Allison. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/57 "2003-01-30T04:07:26Z")
I give a slight edge to the two-L version, but that’s only because the Allison I grew up with was a two-L. And she was a great kid. I loathe, loathe, loathe attempts at the “unyque” in naming. Look, just because we’re all individuals doesn’t mean our names must be, too, especially when so many of the alternatives look so…illiterate… ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/58 "2003-01-30T04:21:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\*I have heard that the Allison spelling denotes a last name (like Dorothy Allison) and that Alison is the regular spelling for a first name. True? who knows. But I like Alison best in any case. \*\* One of my good friends is an Alison(One L always), and she also told me that. I suppose that’s two votes for Alison with one L. I definitely like it, and if you’re accepting absentee votes, I’m sure she’d vote for it. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![OrthodoxAgnostic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3e96dc/32.png) [@OrthodoxAgnostic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrthodoxAgnostic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/59 "2003-01-30T04:27:19Z")
I like the name Alexandra…nick name Alex…very cute for a girl Yeah so its not Allison…😉 ---
**Author:** ![coletaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@coletaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coletaz)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/60 "2003-01-30T06:09:42Z")
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