NameCensus.

UK surname

Allan

A Scottish and English surname derived from the Celtic word for "harmony" or "stone," or a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 18,828 people recorded with the Allan surname, ranking it #201 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 25,609, ranked #222, down from #201 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Kennoway and Bonnybank and Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Allan is 25,704 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.0%.

1881 census count

18,828

Ranked #201

Modern count

25,609

2016, ranked #222

Peak year

2014

25,704 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Allan had 18,828 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #201 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 25,609 in 2016, ranked #222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 23,093 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Allan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Allan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Allan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Allan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 12,642 #191
1861 historical 14,393 #168
1881 historical 18,828 #201
1891 historical 20,890 #186
1901 historical 23,093 #203
1911 historical 7,780 #668
1997 modern 23,902 #230
1998 modern 24,689 #232
1999 modern 24,852 #233
2000 modern 24,922 #228
2001 modern 24,149 #233
2002 modern 24,697 #231
2003 modern 24,157 #231
2004 modern 24,152 #230
2005 modern 24,169 #228
2006 modern 24,176 #227
2007 modern 24,406 #226
2008 modern 24,536 #227
2009 modern 25,159 #226
2010 modern 25,488 #227
2011 modern 25,030 #227
2012 modern 24,839 #226
2013 modern 25,295 #226
2014 modern 25,704 #226
2015 modern 25,577 #224
2016 modern 25,609 #222

Geography

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Where Allans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Kennoway and Bonnybank, Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge and George Street. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
3 Kennoway and Bonnybank Fife
4 Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge Fife
5 George Street Aberdeen City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Allan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Allan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Allan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Allan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Allan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Allan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Allan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Allan is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Allan falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Allan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Allan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Allan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Allan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 3,351 Allans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.65x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 3,351 5.65x
Aberdeenshire 1,467 8.64x
Midlothian 1,346 5.48x
Fife 947 8.72x
Ayrshire 923 6.72x
Yorkshire 867 0.48x
Renfrewshire 842 5.92x
Angus 792 4.66x
Northumberland 765 2.80x
Durham 717 1.31x
Lancashire 583 0.27x
Middlesex 548 0.30x
Perthshire 490 5.95x
Stirlingshire 450 6.65x
Banffshire 352 9.25x
Morayshire 292 10.25x
Dunbartonshire 277 5.62x
Clackmannanshire 266 17.56x
Surrey 259 0.29x
Berwickshire 248 11.17x
East Lothian 205 8.44x
Orkney 192 9.52x
Cumberland 189 1.20x
Kincardineshire 183 8.19x
Roxburghshire 180 5.42x
West Lothian 177 6.41x
Kent 166 0.27x
Caithness 108 4.30x
Hampshire 99 0.26x
Westmorland 91 2.26x
Essex 89 0.25x
Inverness-shire 76 1.39x
Ross-shire 71 1.41x
Cheshire 70 0.17x
Lincolnshire 70 0.24x
Buteshire 69 6.21x
Argyllshire 67 1.31x
Selkirkshire 59 3.56x
Sussex 56 0.18x
Dumfriesshire 55 1.36x
Devon 53 0.14x
Wigtownshire 53 2.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 45 1.69x
Warwickshire 44 0.10x
Glamorgan 38 0.12x
Staffordshire 38 0.06x
Somerset 29 0.10x
Northamptonshire 28 0.16x
Worcestershire 28 0.12x
Nairnshire 26 4.64x
Norfolk 25 0.09x
Leicestershire 24 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 24 0.10x
Cornwall 22 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 21 0.19x
Gloucestershire 20 0.06x
Royal Navy 19 0.87x
Peeblesshire 17 1.97x
Dorset 15 0.12x
Suffolk 15 0.07x
Wiltshire 15 0.09x
Berkshire 13 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 12 0.21x
Derbyshire 11 0.04x
Hertfordshire 11 0.09x
Sutherland 10 0.71x
Channel Islands 9 0.17x
Kinross-shire 9 1.94x
Flintshire 8 0.16x
Herefordshire 8 0.11x
Monmouthshire 8 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.09x
Shropshire 7 0.04x
Isle of Man 6 0.18x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.14x
Oxfordshire 6 0.05x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.14x
Bedfordshire 4 0.04x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.03x
Brecknockshire 2 0.05x
Rutland 2 0.15x
Anglesey 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 826 Allans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.63x.

Place Total Index
Govan 826 5.63x
Barony 737 4.91x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 541 5.47x
Glasgow 481 4.57x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 345 10.86x
Aberdeen Old Machar 295 8.32x
Dundee 290 4.57x
Dunfermline 243 14.56x
Old Monkland 193 8.20x
South Leith 178 6.44x
Abbey 175 8.07x
West Greenock 174 6.82x
Hamilton 173 10.46x
Falkirk 162 10.23x
Liff Benvie 140 5.43x
New Monkland 139 7.93x
Clackmannan 114 39.82x
Islington London 110 0.62x
Cathcart 105 13.65x
Montrose 96 9.32x
Elgin 87 15.69x
Kilmarnock 87 5.33x
Alloa 86 11.71x
St Monance 85 65.57x
Cambusnethan 80 6.07x
Bishopwearmouth 78 1.67x
Bothwell 77 4.79x
Dysart 73 9.98x
Peterhead 70 7.79x
Cadder 69 15.75x
Eastwood 69 7.88x
Kilbirnie 69 20.94x
North Leith 66 5.80x
Dalry 65 10.06x
Lesmahagow 65 10.36x
Kelso 64 19.33x
Newhills 61 17.54x
Avondale 60 17.30x
Gateshead 60 1.47x
Keith 59 14.55x
Perth East Church 59 7.60x
Westgate 59 3.49x
Rutherglen 58 6.67x
Kensington London 57 0.56x
Tillicoultry 57 16.92x
Blantyre 56 9.07x
Newcastle On Tyne St 56 3.96x
Beath 55 16.03x
Dumbarton 55 8.02x
Row 55 8.63x
Middlesbrough 52 2.20x
Paisley High Church 52 4.60x
Turriff 52 18.97x
Inveresk 51 7.67x
Forfar 50 5.43x
Marnoch 49 23.99x
Longbenton 48 4.15x
Dalkeith 47 9.70x
Nigg 47 25.44x
Stirling 47 5.51x
Ardrossan 46 9.68x
Byker 46 3.41x
East Greenock 46 3.43x
Lambeth 46 0.29x
Horton In Bradford 45 1.59x
Newington 45 0.66x
Perth West Church 44 11.26x
Shettleston 44 8.29x
Boness 43 11.29x
Cumbernauld 43 15.92x
Larbert 43 10.63x
St Cuthbert W O 43 5.59x
Wallsend 43 4.97x
Darlington 42 1.99x
Slamannan 42 11.34x
Ayr 41 6.33x
Linlithgow 41 11.58x
Galston 40 10.66x
Kilwinning 39 8.80x
Galashiels 38 6.19x
Lasswade 38 6.76x
Stronsay Eday 38 28.80x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Allan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 342
Elizabeth 224
Sarah 168
Jane 149
Margaret 140
Ann 107
Ellen 86
Alice 74
Annie 73
Isabella 62
Eliza 51
Emma 48
Hannah 47
Catherine 36
Agnes 33
Emily 33
Martha 32
Charlotte 30
Maria 26
Jessie 25
Frances 24
Louisa 24
Edith 23
Harriet 22
Grace 21
Esther 20
Florence 20
Ada 19
Eleanor 19
Lucy 17
Anne 16
Kate 16
Clara 15
Harriett 13
Fanny 11
Gertrude 11
Janet 11
Susan 11
Caroline 10
Helen 10
Julia 10
Margt. 10
Rebecca 10
Georgina 9
Amelia 8
Elizth. 8
Lizzie 8
Matilda 8
Minnie 8
Flora 7

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Allan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 380
William 337
James 215
George 190
Thomas 155
Robert 126
Joseph 75
Charles 63
Henry 60
David 51
Edward 50
Alexander 45
Richard 44
Alfred 35
Frederick 32
Andrew 30
Arthur 29
Samuel 25
Walter 25
Wm. 25
Frank 20
Albert 17
Hugh 16
Ralph 16
Harry 15
Herbert 15
Peter 14
Anthony 11
Christopher 11
Benjamin 10
Ernest 10
Francis 10
Edwin 9
Stephen 9
Isaac 8
Mark 8
Michael 8
Percy 8
Adam 7
Patrick 7
Robt. 7
Thos. 7
Tom 6
Daniel 5
Fred 5
Fredk. 5
Jno. 5
Leonard 5
Philip 5
Nicholas 4

FAQ

Allan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Allan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18,828 people were recorded with the Allan surname. That placed it at #201 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Allan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 25,609 in 2016. That gives Allan a modern rank of #222.

What does the Allan surname mean?

A Scottish and English surname derived from the Celtic word for "harmony" or "stone," or a place name.

What does the Allan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Allan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.