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

Nolley, 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 Nolley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nolley in America

Nolley is the 18507th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nolley surname appeared 1,492 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nolley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nolley 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 Nolley

The surname Nolley has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "noll" or "nolle", meaning "head" or "top", and was likely a nickname given to someone with a distinctive or prominent head.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nolley appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where a person named Roger Nolle is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the late 12th century.

During the 13th century, the name Nolley began to spread across various regions of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. It is also possible that the name was influenced by the Old French word "noille", meaning "knoll" or "small hill", as some families may have resided near such geographical features.

In the 14th century, the name Nolley appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a Richard Nolley is recorded. This suggests that the name had gained a foothold in the West Midlands region of England.

One notable individual with the surname Nolley was John Nolley, a merchant and politician from Bristol, who served as a Member of Parliament for the city in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1630).

Another prominent figure was Sir Clement Nolley, a military officer who served in the English Civil War and was appointed as the Governor of Penzance in Cornwall in the mid-17th century (c. 1610-1680).

During the 18th century, the name Nolley continued to be present in various parts of England, with records showing families bearing the name in counties such as Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Hampshire.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the name Nolley also gained some prominence in the United States, as several individuals with this surname immigrated from England and settled in various regions, particularly in the northeastern states.

One notable American with the surname Nolley was Benjamin Nolley, a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner and community leader in Virginia (c. 1755-1840).

Overall, the surname Nolley has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in England and a gradual spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nolley

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

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

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

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