2000
#2,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.50
Uncommon Last name
Nobles
A surname referring to a person of noble rank, or one who served in a noble household.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,269 Americans carry the last name Nobles. That puts it at #2,815 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,021 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nobles 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 Nobles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,021
Census rank
#2,815
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,443 bearers of the surname Nobles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2815th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nobles, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nobles
The surname Nobles is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "noble," meaning someone of noble birth or rank. This name first appeared in England in the 12th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The earliest known bearers of the name were likely individuals of noble or aristocratic lineage, as the surname was used to distinguish those of high social status. In some cases, the name may have been adopted by families who aspired to a noble lifestyle or held positions of authority within their local communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nobles can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1194, where a person named Roger Nobles is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already established in parts of England by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the Nobles surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1273), where a William le Noble is listed. The use of the prefix "le" or "de" before the name was common practice during this period, indicating the family's connection to a specific location or estate.
The Nobles surname has been prominent throughout English history, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One example is Sir William Nobles (c.1453-1518), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in the early 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Sir Andrew Nobles (1597-1672), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the Commonwealth period. He was a prominent supporter of Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.
In the realm of literature, the name Nobles is associated with the English poet and playwright John Nobles (1584-1647), best known for his play "The Feign'd Courtezans" and several poetic works published in the early 17th century.
The Nobles surname also gained recognition in the field of science with the contributions of Robert Nobles (1676-1753), an English mathematician and astronomer who served as the Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford.
During the 19th century, the name Nobles was further established with individuals such as Sir Aretas Akers-Nobles (1851-1927), a British civil servant and politician who served as the Secretary of the Admiralty during the early 20th century.
While the Nobles surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. However, its roots can be traced back to the noble lineages and prestigious positions held by its earliest bearers in medieval and early modern England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nobles
Among Census respondents with the surname Nobles, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Nobles 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 Nobles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.2% · 7,610
- Black or African American29.5% · 3,670
- Two or more races4.2% · 524
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 487
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 56
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nobles
Nobles 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
#2,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,965
+816 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 4.40
Rank movement Down 58 places
2020
#2,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,443
-522 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 4.16
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,724 | 12,149 | 4.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,782 | 12,965 | 4.40 | +816 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 58 places |
| 2020 | #2,815 | 12,443 | 4.16 | -522 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 33 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 Nobles 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 | #2,782 | #2,815 | -1.2% |
| Count | 12,965 | 12,443 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.40 | 4.16 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nobles bearers went from 12,965 to 12,443 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,782 to #2,815.
FAQ
Nobles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nobles?
Name Census estimates that about 14,269 living Americans carry the surname Nobles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,021 residents.
How common is Nobles?
Nobles ranks #2,815 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,443 people with the surname Nobles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,269), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Nobles.
Has Nobles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nobles went from 12,965 recorded bearers to 12,443. That is a decrease of 522 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,782 to #2,815.
What does the Census say about the background of Nobles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nobles, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Nobles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.2% (7,610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nobles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.2%), Black (29.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Nobles (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 Nobles mean?
A surname referring to a person of noble rank, or one who served in a noble household. 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 Nobles (4.16 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 common is the surname Nobles?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Nobles, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.