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

Allen, 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 Allen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Allen in America

Allen is the 33rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Allen surname appeared 482,607 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 164 people would have the surname Allen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Allen 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 Allen

The surname Allen is of English origin, deriving from an ancient English pre-7th century word "alor" or "aller", meaning a meadow or valley. It is also believed to have derived from the Old English words "alor" or "aler", meaning a haunter of meadows or valleys.

The name Allen is thought to have first appeared in the English counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire during the 11th century. Early records show variations in spelling such as Alen, Alain, Alayn, and Allyn.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Allen can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Alain" and "Alanus". This suggests that the name was already well-established in England at the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show an Allen family holding lands in the village of Allen, near Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. This village likely took its name from the surname, indicating the presence of the Allen family in the area at that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Allen throughout history include William Allen (c.1532-1594), an English cardinal and founder of the English College in Douai, France. Another prominent figure was Ethan Allen (1738-1789), an American Revolutionary War patriot and leader of the Green Mountain Boys.

Other historical figures include:

• William Allen (1770-1843), an American statesman and president of Bowdoin College.
• Richard Allen (1760-1831), an American minister and founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
• Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849), an American writer and poet known for his Gothic literature.
• Viola Allen (1867-1948), an American stage actress renowned for her Shakespearean roles.

The Allen surname has been widely dispersed throughout the English-speaking world, with many bearers tracing their roots back to England. It continues to be a common surname in countries with significant British ancestry, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Allen

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

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 Allen 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 Allen 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 Allen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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