2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Noal
An Anglo-Norman French occupational surname originating from "noual" meaning nail maker or nail worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Noal. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noal surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Noal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noal, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.1%) and Black (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noal
The surname NOAL originates from France, specifically the region of Normandy, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "nouel," meaning "new," which is believed to have been used as a nickname for someone who was a newcomer or a settler in a particular area.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name NOAL can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Noel" in this document, which is likely an early spelling variation.
During the 12th century, the name NOAL was prevalent in the regions of Calvados and Orne in Normandy. Historical records from this time period mention individuals such as Geoffroy Noel (born around 1130), a nobleman who owned lands in the village of Cambremer.
In the 13th century, the name NOAL began to spread to other parts of France, particularly the northern regions. One notable figure from this era was Jehan Noel (c. 1250-1310), a renowned philosopher and theologian who studied at the University of Paris.
As the name continued to evolve, various spellings emerged, including Noal, Noell, and Noaille. In the 15th century, the NOAL surname was associated with the village of Noailles in the Corrèze region of central France, giving rise to the branch of the noble family known as the House of Noailles.
Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the surname NOAL or its variations. For example, Anne-Jules de Noailles (1650-1708) was a French military officer and Marshal of France. Charles-Adrien de Noailles (1676-1766) was a French nobleman and diplomat who served as the French ambassador to Spain. Emmanuel-Marie-Louis de Noailles (1830-1909) was a French politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Another notable figure was Alexandre Noël (1802-1883), a French portrait painter who was known for his portraits of prominent figures in the 19th century. Additionally, Romain-Octave Noël (1811-1884) was a French mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to the fields of geometry and mechanics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noal
Among Census respondents with the surname Noal, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.1%) and Black (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Noal bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Noal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.8% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino17.1% · 20
- Black or African American6.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 6
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noal
Noal appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-12 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,067 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 20,067 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Noal surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noal bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Noal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noal?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Noal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Noal?
Noal ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Noal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Noal.
Has Noal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noal went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Noal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noal, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.1%) and Black (6.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Noal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.8% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.8%), Hispanic (17.1%), Black (6.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Noal (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Noal mean?
An Anglo-Norman French occupational surname originating from "noual" meaning nail maker or nail worker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Noal (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Noal?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.