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

Noakes, 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 Noakes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noakes in America

Noakes is the 17322nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noakes surname appeared 1,633 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Noakes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noakes 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 Noakes

The surname Noakes is of English origin, deriving from the Old English pre-7th century word 'nok', meaning 'oak tree'. It emerged as an occupational surname, referring to someone who lived or worked near an oak tree or in an oak forest.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century, with a Richard de la Noke appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1190. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'de la Noke', a reference to someone living near an oak tree or oak woods.

In the 13th century, the name was often spelled as 'Noke' or 'Nokes', with variations like 'Nookes' and 'Nouckes' emerging in the 16th century. The modern spelling of 'Noakes' became more common in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Notable historical figures with the surname Noakes include Richard Noakes (1619-1692), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford. John Noakes (1733-1801) was a British naval officer and explorer, best known for his exploration of the Pacific Northwest region of North America.

In the 19th century, Robert Noakes (1828-1898) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons. John Noakes (1949-2017) was a popular British television presenter, best known for his work on the long-running children's programme 'Blue Peter'.

Another notable figure was Mary Noakes (1863-1943), a British suffragette and women's rights activist who campaigned for women's right to vote and was imprisoned for her activism.

The surname Noakes is still relatively common in England, particularly in the southern counties, and has spread to other parts of the world through migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the oak forests of medieval England, where it first emerged as an occupational surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noakes

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

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 Noakes 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 Noakes 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 Noakes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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