Show ContentsAllens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Allens

What does the name Allens mean?

The name of the Allens 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 Allens family

The surname Allens 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 Allens family

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

Allens 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 Allens 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 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; Admiral Sir Thomas Allin, 1st Baronet (1612-1685), an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service in the English Civil War, and the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars; William Alleine (1614-1677), an English minister; John Alleyn or Allen (1621-1663), Cornish...
Another 210 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Allens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Allens family to Ireland

Some of the Allens 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.

Allens migration to Australia +

Allens Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Allens, (b. 1803), aged 43, Cornish settler convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK on 25th March 1846, sentenced for 10 years for housebreaking and stealing gown pieces at St. Agnes, transported aboard the ship "Cornwall" on 24th February 1851 to Van Dieman's Land, Tasmania, Australia 3
  • Mr. William Allens, Cornish convict who was convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Cornwall" on 28th February 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • Arthur Allens, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Switzerland"
Cataraqui
  • Thomas Allens (b. 1814), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Anne Allens (b. 1816), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Elizabeth Allens (b. 1838), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Susan Allens (b. 1840), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Alice Allens (b. 1842), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • ... (Another 5 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
  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. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cornwall

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