2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Noar
A surname with possible origins in Spain or Portugal relating to geography or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Noar. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noar 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Noar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Noar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noar, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noar
The surname NOAR is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "noorden," meaning "north," suggesting that the name may have been initially adopted by someone who lived in the northern regions of the Netherlands or came from the north.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname NOAR can be found in the historical records of the city of Amsterdam, where a merchant named Pieter NOAR is mentioned in a document dated 1492. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, records show that a family bearing the NOAR surname settled in the town of Delft, which was known for its production of the famous Delft Blue pottery. It is possible that some members of this family were involved in the pottery trade, contributing to the local economy and cultural heritage.
During the Dutch Golden Age, a prominent figure with the surname NOAR was Jan NOAR (1602-1678), a skilled engraver and printmaker who worked in Amsterdam. His intricate etchings and engravings depicting landscapes, cityscapes, and biblical scenes were highly regarded and sought after by art collectors of the time.
Another notable individual was Willem NOAR (1718-1793), a Dutch philosopher and writer who published several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy. His treatise "On the Nature of Virtue" was widely read and discussed in intellectual circles across Europe.
In the 19th century, a family with the NOAR surname established itself in the city of Rotterdam. One of its descendants, Cornelis NOAR (1842-1913), became a respected architect and designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Rotterdam City Hall and the Oude Kerk (Old Church).
Throughout its history, the surname NOAR has been associated with various professions, from merchants and artisans to scholars and architects. While its exact origins remain somewhat uncertain, the name's connection to the Dutch word "noorden" suggests a deep-rooted heritage linked to the northern regions of the Netherlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noar
Among Census respondents with the surname Noar, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Noar 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 Noar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 88
- Two or more races6.6% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 6
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noar
Noar 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,644 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,093 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 16,644 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 6,093 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 Noar 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 | #158,432 | #152,339 | 3.8% |
| Count | 102 | 106 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noar bearers went from 102 to 106 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 6,093 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,339.
FAQ
Noar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noar?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Noar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Noar?
Noar ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Noar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Noar.
Has Noar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noar went from 102 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Noar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noar, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Noar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Two or More Races (6.6%), Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Noar (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 Noar mean?
A surname with possible origins in Spain or Portugal relating to geography or location. 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 Noar (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 Noar?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.