Given name & surname · also Old French
Alis
“noble”
Alis is a feminine given name from Old French, ultimately from Proto-Germanic. It is used in Welsh and Hanunoo.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Alis goes back to Proto-Germanic *aþalaz, meaning “noble.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
Alis comes from Old French, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In Welsh usage, Alis developed from the Old High German form ADALHEID.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alis through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 515
- 5 boys · 510 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 34 babies
- 2025
- 34
- #4,174 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +94%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 34 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,174 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 94.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,146 as a first name in 2020; 124 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alis’s family of names
In Welsh usage, Alis developed from the Old High German form ADALHEID. In Hanunoo usage, Alis was borrowed from the Spanish form Alicia. In Welsh usage, Alis has a related form in Alys.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Alis has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
3 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 9
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Aliceequivalent
- Aliequivalent
- Aliciasource · Spanish
- Alisonequivalent
- Alisaequivalent
- Alliequivalent
- Allisequivalent
- Ailisequivalent
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People named Alis
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alis, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Atla
“fierce”
>99% girls
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Alessia is used as a given name. Alessia is connected with Alexia.
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Karleigh
“a small, strong woman”
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Katla
“kettle; helmet”
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Aitana
“the glorious one”
>99% girls
Balsam
Balsam is a surname from German.
>99% girls
Kemi
“easily accessible or passable”
>99% girls
Cataleya
Cataleya is a feminine given name. It is used in Spanish.
>99% girls