NameCensus.

UK surname

Alleyne

Derived from the Gaelic "O'Ailín," meaning "descendant of Ailín," a personal name meaning "little rock" or "harmony."

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Alleyne surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,074, ranked #5,440, up from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Duffield and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Brent and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alleyne is 1,188 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1225.9%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

1,074

2016, ranked #5,440

Peak year

2010

1,188 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alleyne had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,074 in 2016, ranked #5,440.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 100 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Alleyne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Alleyne surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alleyne 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 34 #27,194
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 97 #24,447
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 100 #22,717
1997 modern 973 #5,621
1998 modern 1,002 #5,668
1999 modern 1,013 #5,656
2000 modern 1,020 #5,588
2001 modern 988 #5,626
2002 modern 1,047 #5,479
2003 modern 1,025 #5,488
2004 modern 1,037 #5,443
2005 modern 1,018 #5,468
2006 modern 1,046 #5,367
2007 modern 1,051 #5,387
2008 modern 1,069 #5,336
2009 modern 1,125 #5,218
2010 modern 1,188 #5,091
2011 modern 1,137 #5,232
2012 modern 1,067 #5,428
2013 modern 1,107 #5,344
2014 modern 1,117 #5,325
2015 modern 1,093 #5,376
2016 modern 1,074 #5,440

Geography

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Where Alleynes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Duffield, London parishes and Clifton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Brent and Westminster. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Duffield Derbyshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Clifton Gloucestershire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 008 Reading
2 Brent 025 Brent
3 Westminster 009 Westminster
4 Reading 007 Reading
5 Reading 006 Reading

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alleyne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alleyne

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Alleyne, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Alleyne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Alleyne household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Alleyne is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Alleyne is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Alleyne falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Alleyne is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Alleyne

The surname ALLEYNE originated in England and traces its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French personal name "Alain," which itself is a version of the Germanic name "Alwin" or "Alewyn," meaning "noble friend."

The name ALLEYNE first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, with early spellings including Alleyn, Alleyne, Allyn, and Alyn. One of the earliest documented instances is in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census conducted in England in 1274-1275, which mentions a William Alleyn from Oxfordshire.

The ALLEYNE surname is closely associated with the town of Caunton in Nottinghamshire, where a family of this name held lands and properties from the 13th century onwards. The Alleyne family was prominent in this area, and their name is recorded in various medieval documents and charters.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the ALLEYNE surname was John Alleyne, a wealthy landowner and wool merchant from Oxfordshire, who lived from around 1320 to 1390. He played a significant role in the wool trade between England and Flanders.

Another prominent individual was Edward Alleyne (1566-1626), an English actor and founder of Dulwich College in London. He amassed a considerable fortune through his theatrical career and used it to establish the college as a charitable institution for the education of underprivileged children.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a figure of historical importance was Thomas Alleyne (1628-1703), a colonel in the Parliamentarian army. He fought alongside Oliver Cromwell and played a pivotal role in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the realm of literature, the ALLEYNE surname is associated with the playwright and poet Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke (1554-1628), whose full name was Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke of Beauchamp Court, Warwickshire. He was a prominent figure in the court of Queen Elizabeth I and is considered one of the most significant poets of the Elizabethan era.

The ALLEYNE surname has also been linked to various place names, such as Alleyne's Green in Hertfordshire and Alleyne's Farm in Warwickshire, which were likely named after individuals or families bearing this surname in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alleyne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alleyne 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. Middlesex leads with 20 Alleynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.44x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 2.44x
Devon 11 6.45x
Gloucestershire 11 6.85x
Derbyshire 9 7.02x
Surrey 6 1.50x
Sussex 5 3.62x
Yorkshire 4 0.49x
Channel Islands 3 12.36x
Kent 3 1.07x
Lancashire 3 0.31x
Shropshire 3 4.24x
Dorset 2 3.72x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.32x
Hampshire 1 0.60x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.91x
Somerset 1 0.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clifton in Gloucestershire leads with 11 Alleynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 135.47x.

Place Total Index
Clifton 11 135.47x
Chelsea London 8 32.41x
Hazelwood 7 6363.64x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 127.88x
Worth 5 500.00x
Camberwell 4 7.64x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 24.23x
Shoreditch London 4 11.26x
Kentisbeare 3 1304.35x
Liverpool 3 5.08x
Newton Abbot St Mary 3 209.79x
Shrewsbury St Mary 3 107.53x
St Andrew 3 937.50x
St Marylebone London 3 6.86x
Kensington London 2 4.39x
Pentrich 2 277.78x
Putney 2 53.62x
Radipole 2 540.54x
Spitalfields London 2 32.47x
Tonbridge 2 19.84x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 6.31x
Plumstead 1 10.73x
Southampton St Mary 1 9.47x
St George Martyr London 1 60.24x
Warsop Soulkholme 1 1111.11x
Weston Super Mare 1 30.03x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Charles 3
James 2
A.B. 1
Alexander 1
Baron 1
Ben 1
Bonaeris 1
Claude 1
Douglas 1
Edward 1
Evelyn 1
Foster 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Philip 1
Reynold 1
Rich.Edw. 1
Thos. 1
Wentworth 1
William 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Alleyne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alleyne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Alleyne surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alleyne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,074 in 2016. That gives Alleyne a modern rank of #5,440.

What does the Alleyne surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic "O'Ailín," meaning "descendant of Ailín," a personal name meaning "little rock" or "harmony."

What does the Alleyne map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Alleyne 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.