Allan is my maiden name and my father’s family surname.  It is a Scottish and Northern English surname.  ‘Allan’ spelling rather than ‘Allen’ is typically Scottish. Lanarkshire in Scotland had the highest density of the Allan surname in the 1800s but our Allan family originates from Banffshire in the Highland region of Scotland.  The Allan name is a sept of the MacDonald’s of Clanranald.

Ranald had five sons, including the eldest Allan who succeeded as Chief of Clanranald and Donald, and who founded the line of Glengarry. Allan MacRanald  (Mac meaning ‘son of’) died at his castle of Tioram in 1419 and was succeeded by his son Roderick, who was a staunch supporter of the Lord of the Isles. Roderick was believed to have died in 1481 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Allan.

Allan was a capable and war-like chief, he led a raid into Lochaber and Badenoch in 1491, which culminated in the capture of Inverness Castle. On the first visit of James IV to the highlands Allan MacRuari was one of the few chiefs to render him homage.

The sept of Allan is descended from Allan son of Allanson from the West Highlands which allied themselves with Clanranald and were known to be skilled and noble warriors.

The earliest Allan I have traced so far  was Andrew was born c1640.  Andrew had a son George, who was born on 27 July 1662 in Forglen, Banff.  

Our family didn’t move very far out of this area until my Grandfather’s generation.