Is ありす a traditional girl's name?


Is ありす, or a name pronounced the same as "ありす", a traditional feminine given
name? (If I have to define traditional, then pre-dating the end of the [Sakoku
policy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakoku))

I've heard about parents naming their girls ありす because they like the foreign
name "[Alice](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_%28given_name%29)", but does
the name actually pre-date the event of Japanese knowing the word "Alice"?




There seems to be prior occurrence of ありす as part of a traditional Japanese
surname, amongst [other
names](http://coreblog.org/naming/girls/p_3042308a3059.html). ありす can be the
common Japanese female given name 有栖 (Arisu), which most likely comes is
derived from Japanese Imperial branch family surname surname
[有栖川](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisugawa-no-miya) (Arisugawa).

As a somewhat ironic side note, the English name
[Alice](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_%28given_name%29), a name derived
from Old French and [Germanic](http://www.behindthename.com/name/adelaide),
means "noble/nobility."




There seems to be prior occurrence of ありす as part of a traditional Japanese
surname, amongst [other
names](http://coreblog.org/naming/girls/p_3042308a3059.html). ありす can be the
common Japanese female given name 有栖 (Arisu), which most likely comes is
derived from Japanese Imperial branch family surname surname
[有栖川](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisugawa-no-miya) (Arisugawa).

As a somewhat ironic side note, the English name
[Alice](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_%28given_name%29), a name derived
from Old French and [Germanic](http://www.behindthename.com/name/adelaide),
means "noble/nobility."

