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

Noelle, 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 Noelle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noelle in America

Noelle is the 68122nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noelle surname appeared 289 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Noelle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noelle 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 Noelle

The surname Noelle originated in France during the Middle Ages. Its roots can be traced back to the Old French word "noel," which means "Christmas" or "birth of Christ." This name was likely given to children born around the Christmas season, or it may have been adopted as a surname by families associated with the celebration of Christmas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Noelle can be found in the Livre des Metiers, a historical document from Paris dated around the 13th century. This record mentions a person named Jehan Noelle, who was a baker living in the French capital during that time period.

In the 15th century, a notable individual bearing the surname Noelle was Jean Noelle, a French poet and playwright who lived from approximately 1415 to 1472. His works included religious plays and morality tales, reflecting the cultural and artistic influences of the era.

During the 16th century, the Noelle surname appeared in various regions of France, including Normandy and Brittany. Some variations in spelling included Noël, Noel, and Nouel, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the surname Noelle was Philippe de Noelle, a French military officer who served under King Louis XIV. He was born in 1632 and participated in several campaigns during the Franco-Spanish War and the Nine Years' War.

Another individual of note was Marie-Noelle de La Fayette, a French noblewoman and writer who lived from 1634 to 1693. She is best known for her influential novel "La Princesse de Clèves," which is considered a masterpiece of French literature and a precursor to the modern psychological novel.

As the name Noelle spread across Europe, it was adopted by families in other countries, such as Germany, where it was sometimes spelled as Noell or Nöll. In the 18th century, Johann Christoph Noell was a German composer and organist who contributed to the development of sacred music in his region.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Noelle throughout history. While the name has its origins in France, it has since been embraced by families across various regions and cultures, reflecting the rich tapestry of human diversity and migration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noelle

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

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

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

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