Explore the Family Name Allan
The meaning of Allan
Scottish and northern English: variant of Allen. This is the more common form of the name in Scotland and northern England. See also McAllen. History: An early bearer of this surname in North America was William Allan, a British soldier who took his family to the newly founded city of Halifax, NS, Canada, in 1749. His son John (1746–1805) was a Revolutionary soldier who eventually (1783) founded the settlement of Allan’s Island, Passamaquoddy Bay, ME.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Allan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Allan has grown in the United States. In 2000, Allan ranked at 3090 with a count of 10,746 which represented a proportion per 100,000 people of 3.98. By 2010, the rank had slightly increased to 3022, with the count escalating to 11,867, and the proportion per 100k raised to 4.02. This data signifies a 2.2% increment in the surname's rank and a 10.43% growth in the overall count over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,090 | #3,022 | 2.2% |
| Count | 10,746 | 11,867 | 10.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.98 | 4.02 | 1.01% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Allan
In terms of ethnic identity, the Allan surname shows diversity according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority of individuals carrying this surname identified as White, accounting for 87.42% in 2000 and declining slightly to 84.46% in 2010. There was a notable increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic between 2000 and 2010, with increases of 92.52% and 89.6%, respectively. Those identifying with two or more races also saw an increase of 6.55%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals who identify as Black remained fairly stable, and the number of American Indians and Alaskan Natives decreased by 6.25%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.42% | 84.46% | -3.39% |
| Black | 6.4% | 6.45% | 0.78% |
| Hispanic | 2.02% | 3.83% | 89.6% |
| Two or More Races | 2.29% | 2.44% | 6.55% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.07% | 2.06% | 92.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.8% | 0.75% | -6.25% |
Allan ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Allan is British & Irish, which comprises 63.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (14.6%) and Scandinavian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 63.0% |
| French & German | 14.6% |
| Scandinavian | 4.5% |
| Other | 17.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Allan
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Allan have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
What Allan haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Allan is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Davies, Lloyd, Griffith, Logan, Jones, Phillips, Morgan, Cameron, Bruce, Oliver.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Allan surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Allan have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Allan" Surname 47.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Allan" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Allan" Surname 23.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Allan" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Allan?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Allan are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition