Show ContentsAllee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

As a native Irish surname, Allee is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Laoidhigh, which comes from the word "laoidh," which means "a poem;" or from Mac Giolla Iosa, which means "son of the devotee of Jesus." However, Lee is also a common indigenous name in England, many families of which have been established in Ireland since at least the 17th century. 1

Early Origins of the Allee family

The surname Allee was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they were prominent in the west being anciently associated as hereditary physicians to the O'Flahertys.

Families with the McLees or McAlees spellings were traditionally doctors or physicians.

By the 16th century different branches had developed in Galway, in Leix, and in Munster at Cork and Limerick. The name in Gaelic was O'Laidhigh.

Early History of the Allee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allee research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1253, 1600, 1650 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Allee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allee Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Allee dating from that time include McAlea, McAlee, MacAlee, MacAlea, MacLee, McLee, MacLees, McLees, MacLeas, McLeas, O'Lees, O'Leas, Lee and many more.

Early Notables of the Allee family

More information is included under the topic Early Allee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allee Ranking

In the United States, the name Allee is the 14,427th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Allee migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Allee:

Allee Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elizabeth Allee, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 3
  • Mr. Allee, who landed in Virginia in 1698 3
Allee Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jean Allee, who landed in New York in 1725 3
Allee Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mary Allee, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1910
  • Desire Allee, aged 30, who settled in America from France, in 1914
  • Roger Allee, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1917
  • Madeline Allee, aged 47, who landed in America from Winchester, England, in 1919
  • Felix Allee, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1920
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Allee (post 1700) +

  • Warder Clyde Allee (1885-1955), American zoologist and ecologist who discovered the Allee effect
  • William S. Allee (1852-1916), American politician, Member of the Missouri Senate
  • Marjorie Hill Allee (1890-1945), née Hill, American author, wife of Warder Clyde Allee
  • Verna Allee (b. 1949), American business consultant and writer
  • Alfred Young Allee (1905-1987), American Texas Ranger, grandson of Alfred Allee
  • James Frank Allee (1857-1938), American merchant and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware, United States Senator from Delaware (1903-1907), Member of the Delaware Senate (1899-1903)
  • Alfred Y. Allee (1855-1938), American lawman in Texas, known for his reputation for his casual violence and for shooting prisoners after they had surrendered; he was stabbed to death in a barroom brawl in Laredo, Texas, grandfather of Alfred Young Allee
  • David S. Allee (b. 1969), American photographer
  • Steve Allee, American jazz musician and composer
  • Charles Allee (1848-1896), Australian cricketer who played six first-class cricket matches for Victoria from 1873 to 1878


The Allee Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fide et fortitudine
Motto Translation: By fidelity and fortitude.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)


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