My journey into researching the Allsopp surname started unexpectedly in 1987, when I received my great-grandfather Thomas Allsopp’s death certificate out of the blue. That moment sparked my curiosity—I wanted to learn more about his parents and our family history.

Right from the start, I ran into a challenge: I discovered that Thomas was a convict, and, to make things even more confusing, there was another convict with the same name and age, both tried and sentenced for transportation at Nottingham Shire Hall. To make sense of it all, I began collecting every piece of information about the Allsopp name that I could find. Before long, I had gathered nearly every public record available in New South Wales.

From these beginnings, the Allsopp Genealogy website was born. Since launching in 1989, the site has welcomed many contributors and has grown to cover not just Australia, but also branches back into the UK and the Americas. As of March 2025, the website database includes over 15,000 people and a research archive with more than 79,500 records.

With the demise of the Allsop Family Group in 2020 I founded the Allsop Genealogy Facebook group with  the aim to establish a central place for communication by members of the Allsopp community and took up the Allsop study from Ms. Winifred Waterall . The Facebook group has grown to 140 members since its inception and it is intended that much of the Allsopp Genealogy website will be eventually migrated across to the Guild pages.

The surname Allsopp (also spelled Alsop, Allsop, Alsoup, and other variants) is of English origin, specifically from the Anglo-Saxon period. It is primarily a locational surname derived from the place name Alsop in Derbyshire, which appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Elleshope.” The name itself likely comes from Old English elements “ælle” (meaning a personal name or possibly “eel”) and “hop” (meaning a small valley or enclosed piece of land), thus meaning “Ælle’s valley” or possibly “valley with eels.”

The earliest  documented spelling of the name is believed to be ALSOP and over centuries, the Allsopp surname has evolved into several variants due to regional dialects, spelling inconsistencies, and migration patterns:

• Allsopp – The most common modern spelling
• Alsop – A simplified version commonly found in historical records
• Allsop – A variant without the doubled final consonant
• Alsopp – Less common variant with a single ‘l’
• Alsup – Common in American branches of the family
• Alsoppe – An archaic form with the final ‘e’
• Alsope – Less common historical variant

The 1881 Census  for England and Wales appears to be the turning where the Allsopp variant of the name replaced the dominance of Allsop . 

Over 70 variations of the surname have been discovered in records published by FreeBMD. These variations often make genealogical research challenging, as the same family might appear under different spellings in different records, particularly before standardised spelling became common, and in latter years with the advent of hyphenated surnames.

The Allsopp name and its many variants (Alsop, Allsop, Alsopp, etc) are believed to have originated around 900-1000AD in the village of Alsop-en-le-Dale, anciently the town of Elleshope, located in Derbyshire, England.

It was originally a Chapelry in the parish and Deanery of Ashbourne with the church dedicated to St. Michael.

Documented in 1086 as forming part of the land holdings of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, King of England the land was called Alsop-en-le-Dale (or the Lands of Alsop). These lands were given to William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby, in 1199. Hugh de Alsop, Crusader and Knight Templar received the land from William de Ferrers.

Gweno de Alsop (son of Gamellus de Alsop) became a vassal of William de Ferrers, in 1200, receiving the fief of Alsop-en-le-Dale. He did not own the property, but could keep possession as long as he fulfilled his military duties and other services as required by the Earl. Gweno kept what the land produced, set up a court, passed judgement, and used the several peasant families living there for farm labour, building, construction or repair and road work. For 500 years the Alsops resided here until 1666-1669.

In 1811 the village consisted of about 14 houses only ( source: Derbyshire’s Parishes, 1811 Section 2 From: ‘History of Derbyshire’ by David Peter Davies (Makeney – April 10th, 1811). Today, however, very little remains of the village.

Several Allsopp family lines achieved prominence, including:

• The brewing dynasty of Samuel Allsopp & Sons in Burton-upon-Trent, established in the 1740s and becoming one of Britain’s largest breweries by the 19th century.
• Sir Henry Allsopp (1811-1887), 1st Baron Hindlip, who expanded the family brewing business.
• Thomas Allsopp of Tipton (mid-19th century), a prominent estate agent and landowner.
• Kirstie Allsopp – A British television presenter known for shows like Location, Location, Location and Love It or List It. She is the daughter of Charles Allsopp, 6th Baron Hindlip.
• Charles Allsopp, 6th Baron Hindlip – Former chairman of Christie’s auction house and a member of the House of Lords
• Arthur Allsopp, Australian test cricketer who became a pivotal figure in the development of softball in Victoria and Australia.
• Thomas Allsop (1795–1880) – English stockbroker and author, often referred to as the “favourite disciple of Coleridge.”
• James Allsop – As the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, he introduced the National Court Framework, which restructured the court into distinct practice areas to enhance efficiency and reduce state-based divisions.
• Joan Winifred Allsop – A pioneer in adult education in Australia, she specialized in teaching international affairs, history, and music appreciation. She also initiated residential education courses for mothers and children.
• Ryan Allsop – An English professional footballer who has contributed to sports through his career as a goalkeeper for various clubs.
• Marin Alsop – A renowned American conductor, she was the first woman to lead a major American orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She is also a strong advocate for music education.
• William Alsup – U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of California, known for his involvement in high-profile cases, including the Oracle v. Google trial concerning Java APIs, where his familiarity with programming languages gained attention.
• Joseph Alsop – An influential American journalist and syndicated columnist, known for his political commentary during the mid-20th century.
• Matt Allsopp – a concept artist and visual development supervisor. Beyond his work on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, he has contributed to several major projects, including: Godzilla (2014) where he worked as a concept artist, helping to shape the visual style of the film, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong.
• Jane Allsop – An Australian actress best known for her role as Constable Jo Parrish on the TV series Blue Heelers. She has also appeared in shows like Neighbours and Rake.

and not to forget ...
Madge Alsop - Bridesmaid to Dame Edna Everidge.

The Allsopp family name originated in Derbyshire, England, specifically around the Peak District where the hamlet of Alsop-en-le-Dale is located and spreading to the east and south predominately. By the 16th century, the name had spread throughout the Midlands, with notable concentrations in:

• Derbyshire (the original homeland)
• Staffordshire (particularly around Tipton)
• Warwickshire
• Shropshire
• Nottinghamshire

During the 19th century, industrial opportunities led many Allsopp families to migrate to urban centres like Birmingham, Manchester, and London. Colonial expansion and emigration also took the name to:

• Australia (particularly New South Wales)
• Canada
• United States (with concentrations in the Northeast and later the Midwest)
• New Zealand

Small numbers can also be found in South Africa and South America.

Allsopp Genealogy website

Allsopp Genealogy Facebook Group