2000
#3,642
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,964
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.32
Uncommon Last name
Noland
Derived from a place name meaning "northern land" or "land to the north" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,188 Americans carry the last name Noland. That puts it at #3,884 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,643 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noland 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 Noland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,643
Census rank
#3,884
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,884 bearers of the surname Noland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3884th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noland
The surname Noland is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'nor' meaning 'north' and 'land', signifying a person who lived in the northern region or hailed from the northern part of the country. It dates back to the 12th century and is believed to have emerged as a locational surname, referring to individuals who resided in specific northern areas or settlements.
One of the earliest recorded appearances of the name Noland can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a historical record dating back to the 12th century. These rolls documented various administrative and financial matters, including the collection of taxes and the recording of landholdings.
The Noland surname is also present in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This invaluable historical document provides valuable insights into the distribution of land and population across England, including references to individuals bearing the Noland surname or its variants.
During the Middle Ages, the name Noland was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. This geographical concentration aligns with the name's etymological roots, reflecting the origins of individuals who hailed from or resided in these northern regions.
Notable individuals with the surname Noland include:
1. John Noland (c. 1550 - 1626), an English politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Gatton during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Thomas Noland (1631 - 1703), a prominent English merchant and landowner who established a successful trading company in London.
3. Elizabeth Noland (1680 - 1732), a renowned educator and founder of the Noland School for Girls in Bristol, which played a significant role in promoting education for women during the 18th century.
4. William Noland (1792 - 1864), an influential American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Louisville, Kentucky.
5. Margaret Noland (1905 - 1988), a celebrated British novelist and playwright, best known for her critically acclaimed works exploring themes of family dynamics and social issues.
Over time, the Noland surname has undergone various spelling variations, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolutions. Some of these variations include Norland, Norlande, Norlund, and Norrland, among others. Additionally, the name has been associated with certain place names, such as Norland in Yorkshire, which may have further influenced the surname's development and distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noland
Among Census respondents with the surname Noland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Noland 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 Noland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 7,203
- Black or African American9.2% · 821
- Two or more races4.7% · 417
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 324
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noland
Noland 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
#3,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,386
+422 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 3.18
Rank movement Down 130 places
2020
#3,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,884
-502 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.97
Rank movement Down 112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,642 | 8,964 | 3.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,772 | 9,386 | 3.18 | +422 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 130 places |
| 2020 | #3,884 | 8,884 | 2.97 | -502 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 112 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 Noland 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 | #3,772 | #3,884 | -3.0% |
| Count | 9,386 | 8,884 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.18 | 2.97 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noland bearers went from 9,386 to 8,884 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 112 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,772 to #3,884.
FAQ
Noland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noland?
Name Census estimates that about 10,188 living Americans carry the surname Noland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,643 residents.
How common is Noland?
Noland ranks #3,884 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,884 people with the surname Noland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Noland.
Has Noland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noland went from 9,386 recorded bearers to 8,884. That is a decrease of 502 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,772 to #3,884.
What does the Census say about the background of Noland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Noland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (7,203 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Black (9.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Noland (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 Noland mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "northern land" or "land to the north" in Old English. 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 Noland (2.97 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 have the surname Noland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.