Find out how popular the last name Allan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Allan.

Allan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Allan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Allan in America

Allan is the 3022nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Allan surname appeared 11,867 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Allan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Allan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Allan

The surname Allan has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Ailín," which is a diminutive form of the name "Áilill," meaning "handsome" or "attractive." The name Ailín was popular among the Scots, particularly in the Highlands and Western Isles regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Allan appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented homages sworn to King Edward I of England. The entry "William Alayn del Counte de Lavenath" is believed to refer to an individual named William Allan from the county of Lanark.

The Allan surname is also found in early records from the Isle of Man, where it was spelled as "Alayne" or "Aleyn." One notable bearer of this name was Ewan Alayne, who was recorded as the Bishop of Sodor (the diocese covering the Isle of Man) in the 14th century.

In Scotland, the Allan surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, and Ayrshire. The Allans of Renfrewshire were a prominent family, with a branch of the clan holding lands in the parish of Kilbarchan. Sir William Allan (1782-1850), a renowned Scottish historical painter and president of the Royal Scottish Academy, was born in Renfrewshire.

Another notable figure in Scottish history was Sir John Allan (1670-1768), a merchant and landowner from Renfrewshire. He served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh (the city's mayor) from 1740 to 1742.

The Allan surname also has a presence in England, particularly in the northern counties. One early record mentions Robert Aleyn, a merchant from Newcastle upon Tyne, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1195.

In the United States, the Allan surname can be traced back to Scottish and English immigrants who arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. Notable bearers of this name include Ethan Allen (1737-1789), a Revolutionary War patriot and leader of the Green Mountain Boys, and William Allan (1782-1835), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 14th President of the United States from 1837 to 1841.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Allan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Allan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Allan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Allan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Allan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Allan, please contact us.

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