The phrase identifies a specific individual and a geographic location. “Matthew Allen” serves as the proper noun denoting a person’s name, while “Newport News, VA” functions as a compound noun specifying a city and state within the United States. This combination is frequently utilized to uniquely pinpoint a person’s association with a particular place.
Pinpointing individuals within a specific locale facilitates information retrieval, legal processes, and public record searches. Knowledge of a person’s location provides context for understanding their activities, community involvement, and potential connections within that geographic area. Historically, such identifiers have been crucial for census data, property records, and various forms of documentation necessary for societal organization and governance.