2000
#3,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,746
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.98
Uncommon Last name
Allan
A Scottish and English surname derived from the Celtic word for "harmony" or "stone," or a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,163 Americans carry the last name Allan. That puts it at #3,328 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,180 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Allan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Allan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,180
Census rank
#3,328
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,607 bearers of the surname Allan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3328th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Allan, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Allan
Among Census respondents with the surname Allan, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Allan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Allan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 9,113
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 431
- Black or African American4.0% · 429
- Two or more races3.7% · 392
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 89
Timeline
Historical Census data for Allan
Allan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,867
+1,121 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Up 68 places
2020
#3,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,607
-1,260 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 3.55
Rank movement Down 306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,090 | 10,746 | 3.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,022 | 11,867 | 4.02 | +1,121 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 68 places |
| 2020 | #3,328 | 10,607 | 3.55 | -1,260 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 306 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Allan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,022 | #3,328 | -10.1% |
| Count | 11,867 | 10,607 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.02 | 3.55 | -11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Allan bearers went from 11,867 to 10,607 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 306 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,022 to #3,328.
FAQ
Allan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Allan?
Name Census estimates that about 12,163 living Americans carry the surname Allan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,180 residents.
How common is Allan?
Allan ranks #3,328 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,607 people with the surname Allan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,163), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Allan.
Has Allan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Allan went from 11,867 recorded bearers to 10,607. That is a decrease of 1,260 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,022 to #3,328.
What does the Census say about the background of Allan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Allan, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Allan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (9,113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Allan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Hispanic (4.1%), Black (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Allan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Allan mean?
A Scottish and English surname derived from the Celtic word for "harmony" or "stone," or a place name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Allan (3.55 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Allan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.