2000
#4,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.92
Rare Last name
Allman
An English occupational surname for a keeper or manager of cattle or horses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,440 Americans carry the last name Allman. That puts it at #4,675 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,611 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Allman 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 Allman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,611
Census rank
#4,675
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,360 bearers of the surname Allman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4675th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Allman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Allman
The surname Allman is of Anglo-Saxon origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in England. The name is derived from the Old English words "ald" meaning "old" and "mann" meaning "man," suggesting it may have been initially used as a nickname for an elderly or respected individual.
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Aldeman" in the county of Hertfordshire, indicating its presence in England during the 11th century.
Over the centuries, the name evolved through various spellings, including Aldeman, Aldman, and eventually Allman. These variations reflect the changes in language and pronunciation that occurred throughout history.
One notable historical figure with the surname Allman was John Allman, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. He was born around 1520 and played a prominent role in the city's governance and trade activities.
Another individual of historical significance was William Allman, a renowned English botanist and naturalist who lived from 1776 to 1846. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life and is credited with the discovery of several new species.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Allman surname can be found in the colonial records of Virginia in the mid-17th century. Thomas Allman, born around 1630, was among the early settlers in the Tidewater region of Virginia.
The Allman name is also associated with the renowned American rock band, The Allman Brothers Band. Founded in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (1946-1971) and Gregg Allman (1947-2017), the band was a pioneering force in the Southern rock genre and achieved widespread acclaim for their unique blend of blues, jazz, and rock.
Another notable figure with the Allman surname was Ralph Allman, a British actor and screenwriter who lived from 1923 to 2013. He had a prolific career in television and film, appearing in numerous popular productions throughout the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Allman
Among Census respondents with the surname Allman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Allman 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 Allman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 6,346
- Black or African American5.7% · 421
- Two or more races3.8% · 282
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 210
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Allman
Allman 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
#4,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,977
+98 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Down 279 places
2020
#4,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,360
-617 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 2.46
Rank movement Down 228 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,168 | 7,879 | 2.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,447 | 7,977 | 2.70 | +98 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 279 places |
| 2020 | #4,675 | 7,360 | 2.46 | -617 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 228 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 Allman 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 | #4,447 | #4,675 | -5.1% |
| Count | 7,977 | 7,360 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.70 | 2.46 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Allman bearers went from 7,977 to 7,360 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 228 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,447 to #4,675.
FAQ
Allman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Allman?
Name Census estimates that about 8,440 living Americans carry the surname Allman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,611 residents.
How common is Allman?
Allman ranks #4,675 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,360 people with the surname Allman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,440), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Allman.
Has Allman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Allman went from 7,977 recorded bearers to 7,360. That is a decrease of 617 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,447 to #4,675.
What does the Census say about the background of Allman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Allman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Allman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (6,346 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Allman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Black (5.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Allman (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 Allman mean?
An English occupational surname for a keeper or manager of cattle or horses. 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 Allman (2.46 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 are called Allman?
You can see how many people have the last name Allman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.