Show ContentsAllen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Allen Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Allen

What does the name Allen mean?

The name of the Allen family is derived from the given name Alan, which is thought to mean "little rock" or "headstone." The name was popular among the Breton followers of William the Conqueror due to St. Alan, a 5th-century bishop from Quimper, Brittany; during the Middle Ages, parents often named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Allen family

The surname Allen was first found in the lands of Shropshire, where Walter FitzAlan of Brittany held a family seat after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The parish of Mileham, Norfolk is of early significance to the family. "This place, at the time of the Conquest, was given to Alan, son of Flaald, and ancestor of the Fitz-Alans, earls of Arundel, who erected a strong castle here, of which some vestiges may still be traced, within the area of an intrenchment of twelve acres; the site of the keep is pointed out by an inner intrenchment by which it was surrounded." 1

Alain de Lille (1114-1203), was "one of the most illustrious scholars of his age, and for his attainments in theology, philosophy, history, poetry, and natural science, acquired the designation of 'Doctor universalis.' His nationality has not been ascertained with unquestioned accuracy. " 2

Alan of Beccles (d. 1240) was official secretary to Bishops Pandulf and Thomas de Blundeville of Norwich between the years 1218 and 1236 and Alan of Tewkesbury, was a writer of the twelfth century, according to the express statement of Gervase of Canterbury, an Englishman by descent. 2

Early History of the Allen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allen research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1430, 1457, 1532, 1583, 1594, 1596, 1608, 1610, 1611, 1612, 1614, 1621, 1634, 1635, 1637, 1658, 1660, 1661, 1663, 1668, 1671, 1673, 1677, 1681, 1685, 1686, 1692, 1694, 1700, 1705, 1717, 1726, 1738, 1764, 1789 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Allen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allen Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Alan, Allan, Allen, Alleyn, Allayne, Allaine, Allain, Allanach, Allanshaw, MacAllan and many more.

Early Notables of the Allen family

  • William Allen (1532-1594), an English prelate; Francis Allen (ca.1583-1658), an English financier, politician and regicide who sided with parliament in the civil War against Charles I; John Allen, or...
  • Samuel Allen (1635-1705) was a London-born, proprietor and governor of the Province of New Hampshire (1692-1700.)
  • Ethan Allen (1738-1789), an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for...

Allen World Ranking

the United States, the name Allen is the 27th most popular surname with an estimated 494,913 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Allen is ranked the 85th most popular surname with an estimated 30,717 people with that name. 4 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Allen is the 746th popular surname. 5 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Allen as 367th with 126 people. 6 Australia ranks Allen as 48th with 40,354 people. 7 New Zealand ranks Allen as 61st with 5,020 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Allen as 41st with 88,676 people. 9

Migration of the Allen family to Ireland

Some of the Allen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allen migration to the United States +

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Allen:

Allen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Allen, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 11
  • Mr. Allen, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 11
  • William Allen, who landed in Massachusetts in 1623 11
  • William Allen, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Southampton" 11
  • William Allen, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1624 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Allen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Allen, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1701 11
  • Eliza Allen, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 11
  • James Allen, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 11
  • Samuel Allen, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1702 11
  • William Allen, who landed in South Carolina in 1702 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Allen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Allen, aged 25, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 11
  • Isabella Allen, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 11
  • Thomas Allen, who arrived in America in 1805 11
  • William Allen, who landed in America in 1805 11
  • James Allen, who arrived in South Carolina in 1805 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Allen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Robert Allen, (b. 1877), aged 23, Cornish miner traveling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th May 1900 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 12
  • Mr. Thomas Allen, (b. 1866), aged 34, Cornish miner traveling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 18th February 1900 en route to Coalfax, California, USA 12
  • Mr. John Allen, (b. 1883), aged 20, Cornish miner, from St. Stephens, Cornwall traveling aboard the ship "Cedric" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st March 1903 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 12
  • Mr. John Allen, (b. 1867), aged 36, Cornish miner traveling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th September 1903 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 12
  • Mr. John Allen, (b. 1877), aged 27, Cornish engine driver, from St. Austell, Cornwall traveling aboard the ship "Pretoria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 27th May 1904 en route to Iron Mountain, Michigan, USA 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Allen migration to Canada +

Allen Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • William Allen, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Alexander Allen, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Eliz Allen, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Benjamin Allen, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Amy Allen, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Allen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Allen, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1815
  • Timothy Allen, who arrived in Canada in 1828
  • John Allen, who arrived in Canada in 1830
  • M. Allen, aged 22, a gentleman, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Ward" from Limerick, Ireland
  • Benjamin M Allen, who arrived in Canada in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Allen migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. George Allen, (1766 - 1790), aged 22, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, may have died on the ship 10
  • Mr. Richard Allen, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to Life for breaking and entering, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
  • Mr. Samuel Allen, British settler convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 14 years for breaking and entering, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
  • Mr. Samuel Allen, (1765 - 1790), aged 22, British settler convicted in Cheshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 14 years for stealing a plate, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, may have died on the ship 11
  • Mr. Thomas Allen, (b. 1764), aged 25, British settler convicted in Oxfordshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
Second Fleet
  • Miss Elizabeth Allen, (Martin, McIntosh), (1762 - 1820), aged 28, British settler convicted in Norfolk, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for shop lifiting, transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
  • Mr. Benjamin Allen, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Third Fleet" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
  • Mr. William Allen, (d. 1792), British settler convicted in Yorkshire, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Third Fleet" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
  • Mr. George Allen, British settler convicted in Yorkshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "HMS Gorgon" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
  • Mr. Stephen Allen, British settler convicted in Norfolk, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for breaking and entry, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
Third Fleet
  • Mr. John Allen, (b. 1762), aged 25, English labourer convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire on 2nd March 1786, sentenced for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 11
  • Mr. William Allen, (b. 1762), aged 25, English convicted in Ormskirk, Lancashire on 11th April 1785, sentenced for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788, he escaped and died shortly after 11
  • Mr. Charles Allen, (b. 1766), aged 21, English settler convicted in London on 7th July 1784, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 11
  • Miss Susannah Allen, English convicted in London on 18th April 1787, sentenced for 7 years for stealing clothing, transported aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788, she died aboard the ship in childbirth 11
  • Miss Mary Allen, (b. 1764), aged 23, English settler convicted in London on 25th October 1786, sentenced for 7 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Lady Penrhyn" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 11
Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Allen Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Miss Margaret Allen, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Bellona" in July 1792, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. James Allen, (Allender), English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Miss Elizabeth Allen, (b. 1772), aged 26, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Allen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Allen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Allen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Allen, who landed in Waipa, Auckland, New Zealand in 1804
  • Mr. Allen, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in New Zealand in 1839 18
  • Thomas Allen, who landed in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Amelia Thompson
  • W Allen, who landed in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Amelia Thompson
  • William Allen, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Cuba
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Allen migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19
Allen Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Allen, who landed in Antigua (Antego) in 1711 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Allen (post 1700) +

  • Bobby Allen (1943-2025), American racecar driver known for racing winged sprint cars, owned Shark Racing, a World of Outlaws sprint car team that fielded two cars driven by his son Jacob Allen and his grandson Logan Schuchart
  • Joshua Allen (1989-2025), American dancer and actor, best known as the winner of the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance, announced the winner of the show on August 7, 2008, winning $250,000
  • Vivian Elizabeth Ayers Allen (1923-2025), American poet, playwright, cultural activist, museum curator and classicist
  • Sian Barbara Allen (1946-2025), American actress active through the 1970's, known for roles in Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) and Billy Two Hats (1974)
  • Dorothy Elizabeth Allen (b. 1919), American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
  • Hazel Allen (b. 1915), American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
  • Luvenia Allen (b. 1920), American technician in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
  • Agnes Lorraine "Aggie" Allen (1930-2012), American pitcher and outfielder who played from 1950- 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
  • Harold Andrew "Hank" Allen (1940-2024), American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Washington Senators (1966-1970), Milwaukee Brewers (1970) and Chicago White Sox (1972-1973), National League Rookie of the Year in 1964
  • ... (Another 99 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dunbar
  • Mr. John Allen, Australian seaman who died aboard the ship "Dunbar" when she sunk off the coast of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), Australia on 28th August 1857
  • Mr. Otis Lamar Allen (d. 1996), from Mariette, Georgia, USA, American passenger flying aboard Flight TWA 800 with his son Ashton Allen from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; he died in the crash 20
  • Mr. Ashton Lamar Allen (1981-1996), from Mariette, Georgia, USA, American passenger flying aboard Flight TWA 800 with his dad Otis Lamar Allen from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; he died in the crash 21
  • Mr. Robert H. Allen (d. 1902), American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 21
  • Mrs. Elizabeth  Allen (1845-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 22
  • ... (Another 47 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Suggested Readings for the name Allen +

  • The Allen Family: Descendants of John and Amy Cox Allen with Allied Lines by Lester M. Allen.
  • Allen and Allied Families by Dorris Allen O'Neal Dunn.
  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  6. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  7. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  8. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  9. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  10. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  11. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  12. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bellona
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  20. The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm
  21. News paper article Fraterville Mine Disaster retrieved on 6th August 2021. Retrieved from http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/disasters/fraterville.htm
  22. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance

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