Show ContentsAllender History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Allender began when it was 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 Allender family

The surname Allender 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 Allender family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allender 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 Allender History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allender Spelling Variations

There are many spelling variations of Breton surnames, because the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since 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, it was common to find references to one individual with many different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, 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 Allender family

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was 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 John Allin (1596-1671) English settler America in 1637-38, one of the founders of Dedham, Massachusetts; Thomas Allen (1608-1673) English nonconformist minister and divine from Norwich; Richard Alleine (1610-1681), an English Puritan divine; Sir Thomas Allin, 1st Baronet (1612-1685), an officer of the Royal Navy; William Alleine (1614-1677), an English minister; John Alleyn or Allen (1621-1663), Cornish politician, MP for St Michael, Cornwall in...
Another 194 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Allender Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allender Ranking

In the United States, the name Allender is the 13,870th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Allender family to Ireland

Some of the Allender 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.


Australia Allender migration to Australia +

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

Allender Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Urias Allender, English water man who was convicted in Kent, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1842 the settlement was listed as abandoned and most of the convicts transported to Tasmania on the "Queen" in 1804 [4]
  • Solomon Allender, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [5]

New Zealand Allender 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:

Allender Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Henry Allender, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • Ellen Allender, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • Sarah Allender, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • Martha Allender, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • Jane Mary Shepherd Allender, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Allender (post 1700) +

  • Dale Allender Ph.D, (b. 1966), American educator, Director of the National Council of Teachers of English-West
  • Dan B. Allender Ph.D,, American Christian therapist, author, professor, and speaker, founder of the Allender Center in The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology
  • Nina E. Allender (1873-1957), American artist, cartoonist, and women's rights activist, the official cartoonist for the National Woman's Party's publications, where she created her "Allender Girl"
  • Paul Allender (b. 1970), English rock lead guitarist from Colchester, Essex
  • Stephen James Allender (b. 1960), former Australian rules footballer


  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. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  5. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843


Houseofnames.com on Facebook