Origins of the Allen surname

What does the name Allen mean?

The Allen surname is believed to be patronymic, referring to those who are the son or descendant of Alan or Allen (a common forename from the Norman era). Allen is a mostly English and Scottish surname, with Celtic roots. It can sometimes refer to someone who is from or near an Allen (green plain) or the river Allen, of which there are several.

Alternative variations of the name Allen

Allen, Alan, Allan, Alleyn, Allain

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Delve deeper into the Allen family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 2130North West 1619Isle of Man 78Yorkshire 4907East Midlands 2456West Midlands 3845East 3630London 12673South East 5501South West 2071South Wales 725Mid Wales 112West Wales 27North Wales 184Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Allens lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

120,000 Allen Travel & migration records
600,000 Allens found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Allen

How common is your surname?

40th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Allen surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Allens most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Allens.

What are the most common Allen first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Allen family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Allens

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Allens in 1921

Dressmaker

2,683

Laundress

1,890

Domestic Servant

1,399

General Servant Domestic

1,299

General Servant

1,110

Common male occupations for Allens in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

2,724

General Labourer

2,207

Coal Miner

1,780

Carpenter

1,652

Farm Labourer

1,451

We found over 850,000 family trees with the Allen surname

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