Allen Surname

My Allen "people" (as country folks call family) are largely from the New Light area in extreme northern Wake County, NC. While I haven't identified the Allen immigrant ancestor yet, let's just say those Allen people have been in Wake County a long long time. At least since 1774, just prior to the start of the revolution.

Collet's Map of 1770

I do know the early Allens in Wake County were bona fide plantation and slave owners.  My instinct, though unproven at this point - but highly likely - is that the Allen family wandered on down Green's Path from the tidewater area of Virginia into Wake County after a brief pit stop in Warren County. NC. Green's Path followed roughly the same route at today's I-95 and was a highly used trading path through North Carolina in spite of running straight through Tuscarora indian territory. 

The question here is how and when did they find their way to Virginia? Still working on figuring that out.

The real point of this post is supposed to be about the origin of the Allen surname. But truth be told...I don't really know the true origin of our particular Allen line.  Yet. I've read that we are of English, Scottish and Irish origin. Which would surely explain my lily white skin tone and freckles. Not to mention my mother's red hair!

The problem here is that our Allens have been in the America so long it will be very hard to trace their origin, though probably not impossible. We're not like many families who found their way here via Ellis Island and so are heavily documented. 

Oh no, we've been here a very very long time. Which is pretty cool in a transient world where everyone is from somewhere else. We're from right here.