Find out how popular the last name Noah is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Noah.

Noah, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Noah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noah in America

Noah is the 6384th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noah surname appeared 5,332 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Noah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noah to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Noah

The surname NOAH is of Hebrew origin, deriving from the Biblical figure Noah, whose name means "rest" or "comfort" in Hebrew. It is believed to have been adopted as a surname by Jewish families, particularly in Eastern Europe, during the late Middle Ages when surnames were becoming more common.

NOAH traces its roots to the ancient Hebrew language and the Old Testament, where Noah is the central figure in the story of the Great Flood. As a surname, it first appeared in historical records in the 15th and 16th centuries, primarily in Jewish communities across Eastern Europe, including Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname NOAH can be found in the Pinkas Kehillat Krakow, a record book of the Jewish community in Krakow, Poland, dating back to the late 15th century. The document mentions a certain Judah ben Noah, suggesting the use of NOAH as a patronymic surname.

In the 17th century, the surname NOAH was documented in various Jewish communities across Europe, including in the Netherlands, where a prominent rabbi and scholar, Jacob Noah, lived in Amsterdam (1635-1695). Another notable figure from this period was Jacob Noah Segal (1670-1740), a Polish-born rabbi and author.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the NOAH surname spread beyond Jewish communities as some families adopted it as a non-Jewish surname, particularly in parts of Germany and England. One notable example is the English painter, John Noah (1780-1835), who was born in Yorkshire and exhibited his works at the Royal Academy.

Other historical figures bearing the surname NOAH include:

1. Mordecai Manuel Noah (1785-1851), an American playwright, journalist, and diplomat, known for his efforts to establish a Jewish homeland on Grand Island, New York.
2. Joseph Noah (1835-1909), a British-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
3. Mordecai Noah (1868-1940), an American lawyer and judge who served as a judge in the New York Supreme Court.
4. Noah Beery Sr. (1884-1946), an American actor and patriarch of the Beery acting family, known for his roles in numerous silent films and early sound pictures.

While the surname NOAH has its roots in the Hebrew language and Jewish heritage, it has since been adopted by families across various cultures and ethnicities, carrying with it a rich historical significance and biblical connection.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noah

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Noah.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Noah was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Noah has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Noah was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Noah, please contact us.

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