2000
#9,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,226
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Noles
Derived from a place name meaning "at the knoll" or "near the small hill" in Middle English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,343 Americans carry the last name Noles. That puts it at #10,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noles 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
3.3K
1 in 102,529
Census rank
#10,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,915 bearers of the surname Noles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noles, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noles
The surname NOLES is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "nol," meaning "head" or "crown." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a distinctive or prominent head shape or hairstyle.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname NOLES can be traced back to the 13th century, with mentions appearing in various historical records and manuscripts. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and their holdings across England, where the name is listed as "Noles."
In the following centuries, the surname continued to appear in various forms, with slight spelling variations such as "Nolles," "Nollis," and "Noyles." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
The NOLES surname was particularly prominent in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England, where several families bearing the name are recorded in parish registers and local records from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One notable individual with the surname NOLES was Robert Noles (c. 1580-1650), a wealthy landowner and prominent figure in the village of Thetford, Norfolk. His name appears in various property deeds and legal documents from the early 17th century.
Another historical figure was William Noles (1625-1698), a merchant and ship owner from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. He was involved in the flourishing maritime trade of the region and is mentioned in port records and customs documents from the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the NOLES surname spread to other parts of England, with records showing families bearing the name in counties such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable example is John Noles (1740-1812), a farmer and landowner from the village of Wragby, Lincolnshire, who is mentioned in local parish records and land deeds.
Another prominent individual was Elizabeth Noles (1782-1856), a philanthropist and social reformer from York. She was actively involved in various charitable organizations and is credited with establishing several schools and orphanages in the city.
During the 19th century, the NOLES surname continued to be found across England, with families bearing the name in cities such as London and Manchester. One notable figure from this period was Charles Noles (1820-1892), a successful businessman and industrialist from Manchester, who played a significant role in the city's textile industry.
While the surname NOLES originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and migration. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in eastern England, where it likely emerged as a descriptive name related to physical appearance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noles
Among Census respondents with the surname Noles, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Noles 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 Noles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 2,543
- Black or African American4.3% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 115
- Two or more races3.9% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noles
Noles 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
#10,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,183
-43 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 833 places
2020
#10,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,915
-268 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 376 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,292 | 3,226 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,125 | 3,183 | 1.08 | -43 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 833 places |
| 2020 | #10,501 | 2,915 | 0.98 | -268 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 376 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 Noles 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 | #10,125 | #10,501 | -3.7% |
| Count | 3,183 | 2,915 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.98 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noles bearers went from 3,183 to 2,915 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 376 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,125 to #10,501.
FAQ
Noles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noles?
Name Census estimates that about 3,343 living Americans carry the surname Noles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,529 residents.
How common is Noles?
Noles ranks #10,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,915 people with the surname Noles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,343), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Noles.
Has Noles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noles went from 3,183 recorded bearers to 2,915. That is a decrease of 268 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,125 to #10,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Noles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noles, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Noles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (2,543 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Black (4.3%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Noles (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 Noles mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "at the knoll" or "near the small hill" in Middle 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 Noles (0.98 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 last name Noles?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Noles, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.