ALLPORT
The surname Allport is of English origin and is considered an Anglo-Saxon locational name. It derives from the Old English words ealh, meaning “temple” or “hall,” and port, meaning “entrance” or “gateway.” Consequently, the name can be interpreted as “the entrance or gateway to the temple or hall,” and it is likely that the original bearer either lived near such a place or was employed there.
The name has a recorded association with the hamlet of Alport, situated near Rowsley in Derbyshire. In the Hundred Rolls of that county, dated 1279, the place appears as “Aldeport.” The first element, alde, is an Old English word for “old,” while the second, port, is a market town or port, ultimately deriving from the Latin portus. As a locational surname, it would have originally been given to local landowners or the lord of the manor, enabling identification when former residents relocated to new areas.
Early parish registers record the surname in Staffordshire: in 1560 Thomas Alport married Elizabeth Jukes at Sedgley; in 1572 Elnor Alport wed John Taylor in Walsall; and in 1648 Clemman, son of Robert Allport, was christened at St. Peter’s in Wolverhampton. One of the earliest entries in Derbyshire Church Registers lists the marriage of William Allport to Sarah Bradley at Atlow on 19 March 1775.
In the nineteenth century, Sir James Joseph Allport (1811‑1924) emerged as a notable bearer of the name. He served as general manager of the Midland Railway from 1853 to 1857 and subsequently as managing director of Palmer’s Shipbuilding Company in Jarrow from 1857 to 1860. Under his direction the Midland Railway expanded into one of England’s principal railway systems.
The family was awarded a coat of arms. The shield is described as a barry wavy of eight, silver and azure, on a red bend a trio of gold mullets. The crest consists of a demi‑lion rampant in erminois, crowned with a red mural crown. These heraldic elements are traditionally associated with the Allport name, reflecting its historical standing.
Thus, the surname Allport carries a clear locational and occupational origin, a documented history stretching back to the thirteenth century, and a legacy of prominence in the industrial development of nineteenth‑century England. Its enduring presence in parish records and heraldic traditions attests to its established place within the English onomastic landscape.
Typical given names associated with the Allport surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Martin
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Karen
- Lj
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Allport in...
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There are approximately 1,966 people named Allport in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,260th most common surname in Britain. Around 30 in a million people in Britain are named Allport.
Famous people named Allport
- Alfred Allport - Rugby union player (1867 to 1949)
- James Joseph Allport - Railway manager (1811 to 1892)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.