Show ContentsAllman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought many new words to England from which surnames were formed. Allman was one of these new Norman names. It was specifically tailored to its first bearer, who was a person or family of German heritage. Further research showed the name was derived from the Anglo-Norman-French word aleman, which means German. 1

Early Origins of the Allman family

The surname Allman was first found in Allemagne, 2 now known as Fleury-sur-Orne, near Caen in Normandy. There is no clear record of the family arriving in Britain but their voyage is of no doubt.

Some of the first records of the name include listings in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Terric le Alemaund in Buckinghamshire; Henry de Alemania in Nottinghamshire; Bertram de Almannia in Lincolnshire and Robert Almene in Cambridgeshire. 3 John le Alemaund was listed in London in 1284. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Willelmus Alman. 3

Early History of the Allman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allman research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1304, 1407, 1440, 1602, 1605, 1613, 1624, 1627, 1634, 1635, 1665, 1672, 1673, 1686, 1687, 1800 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Allman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allman Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Almayne, Alman, Allman, Almand, Hallman, Allmaine, Almon, Almand, Altman, Allman, Ellman, Dalman and many more.

Early Notables of the Allman family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Elmham (d. 1440?), English historian, Benedictine monk of St. Augustine's, Canterbury, probably a native of North Elmham in Norfolk. He was treasurer of his society in 1407, in which year he was arrested at the suit of one Henry Somerset for excessive seal in the discharge of his duties. His action seems, however, to have been subsequently affirmed. 5Dallam (spelt also Dalham, Dallum, and Dallans), the name of a family of English organ-builders in the 17th century. The eldest was employed in 1605-6 to build an organ for King's College, Cambridge, for...
Another 418 words (30 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Allman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allman Ranking

In the United States, the name Allman is the 4,295th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Allman family to Ireland

Some of the Allman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Allman migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Allman or a variant listed above:

Allman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Philip Allman, who arrived in Georgia in 1745 7
  • Heinrich Allman went to Philadelphia in 1764
  • John Allman who settled in Philadelphia in 1764
Allman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Christine Allman, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
  • Esther Allman, aged 26, who settled in America from Newport, England, in 1907
  • George L. Allman, aged 3, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
  • Albert Charles Allman, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Wallasey, England, in 1912
  • Bridget Allman, aged 37, who immigrated to America from Ireland, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Allman migration to Australia +

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

Allman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Allman, (b. 1770), aged 30, English turner who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Francis Allman, (b. 1797), aged 22, English cordwainer who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1845 9
  • Charles Allman, aged 45, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Carnatic"
  • George Allman, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
  • Catherine Allman, aged 16, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Ramillies" 10

Allman 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:

Allman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Jane Allman, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Allman (post 1700) +

  • Timothy Damien "T.D." Allman (1944-2024), American author, historian, and journalist, originator of the phrase "Rogue State" to foreign policy discourse
  • Gregory LeNoir "Gregg" Allman (1947-2017), American musician, singer, keyboardist and songwriter, co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame
  • B. M. Allman, American football coach
  • John Allman (b. 1935), American poet
  • T. D. Allman (b. 1944), American freelance journalist
  • Ricky Allman (b. 1978), American painter and professor
  • Brendt Allman (b. 1970), American guitarist and songwriter
  • Devon Allman (b. 1972), American vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and songwriter
  • Elvia Allman (1904-1992), American character actress
  • Marshall Scot Allman (b. 1984), American actor
  • ... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Allman +

  • Allman-Allmon: Testaments to the Future by Thelma E. Kurtz.

  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  10. South Australian Register Tuesday 11 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAMILLIES 1860. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/ramillies1860.shtml
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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