Show ContentsAllain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Allain has a rich and ancient history that is specifically connected to the northern region of Normandy. It is a French name that was originally derived from the ancient given name Allen, meaning rock. This type of surname is known as a patronymic name, and comes from a broad category of surname types, known as hereditary surnames. Today there is a small town named Allain in north-eastern France.

Early Origins of the Allain family

The surname Allain was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where this family held a family seat since very early times.

During the early Middle Ages the members of the family distinguished themselves through their involvement in the politics of the country, focusing on the welfare of their province. Through the years the family prospered and grew, and therefore branched into to several other areas.

By the 1700's members were prominently engaged in politics and François Allain was elected deputy at the Estates General at Saint-Malo in 1789. A member of this family who became notable through his contribution to society was François-Marie Allain de Launay, who served the King as Counselor and was elected President of the municipal district of Carhaix.

Descending from the original line of Normandy, François-Mathieu Alein, who came from a branch family, was the legal agent of the imperial treasure at Mouzon. He was highly esteemed and therefore elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Simon Alain, born in 1646 and baptized on 18th August 1648, son of André and Catherine (née Marc), travelled from Rouen, Normandy to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Jeanne Maufait, daughter of Pierre and Marie (née Duval), on 15th April 1670. 1

Early History of the Allain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allain research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1113 is included under the topic Early Allain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allain Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Allain is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Alain, Alains, Alin, Alein, Alan, Allain, Allains, Allin, Allein, Allan, Aland, Alland, Aling, Alling, Alen, Allen, Aleng, Alleng, Alène and many more.

Early Notables of the Allain family

Notable amongst the family in this period was

  • François-Marie Allain, President of the municipal district of Carhaix

Allain Ranking

In the United States, the name Allain is the 7,925th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Allain is ranked the 283rd most popular surname with an estimated 13,945 people with that name. 3


United States Allain migration to the United States +

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Allain has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Allain were

Allain Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Francois Allain, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 4
Allain Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • T Allain, aged 30, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 4
  • Mr. M. Allain, aged 40, German engineer who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "La Gascogne" 5

Australia Allain migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Allain Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Allain, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Henry Moore"

Contemporary Notables of the name Allain (post 1700) +

  • Robert LeBreton "Bret" Allain II (b. 1958), American businessman and politician, Louisiana State Senator from District 21 (2012-)
  • Theophile T. Allain (1846-1917), born a slave, an American politician, Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, for a time the wealthiest black person in Louisiana
  • Rhett Allain, American physicist and associate professor of physics at Southeastern Louisiana University
  • Keith Allain (b. 1958), American ice hockey player and current head coach of the Yale Bulldogs men's ice hockey team
  • Stephanie Allain (b. 1959), American producer of independent movies in Hollywood, California, known for Hustle & Flow (2005), Black Snake Moan (2006) and Beyond the Lights (2014)
  • Rick Allain (b. 1969), former Canadian ice hockey coach from Guelph, Ontario
  • Alexander P. Allain (1920-1994), American lawyer who led the fight for freedom of expression
  • Raymonde Allain (1912-2008), French model and actress, Miss France in 1928
  • Valérie Allain (b. 1966), French actress, from Saint-Raphaël, Var, France
  • Marcel Allain (1885-1969), French writer, best known for his co-creation with Pierre Souvestre of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal Fantômas
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. 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)
  5. Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2150


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