2000
#9,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,007
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Noon
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "at the foot of a hill" or "a hilltop."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,120 Americans carry the last name Noon. That puts it at #11,127 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,857 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noon 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 Noon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,857
Census rank
#11,127
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,721 bearers of the surname Noon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11127th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noon
The surname Noon has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "non," which translates to "noon" or midday. This suggests that the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone who was born or habitually active during the midday hours.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Noon surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1176, where a person named William Noun is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that era.
In the 13th century, the Noon surname appears in various county records, such as the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1272, which reference a Richard Noon. This indicates that the name had gained recognition and spread across different regions of England by this time.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not explicitly mention the Noon surname. However, it does include references to place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Nunnington in Yorkshire and Nuns' Green in Worcestershire.
Notable individuals bearing the Noon surname throughout history include:
1. John Noon (c. 1568-1635), an English clergyman and author known for his theological writings.
2. Benjamin Noon (1808-1892), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Birmingham, England.
3. Sir William Noon (1838-1915), a British industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Noon Bread Company and was knighted for his contributions to the city of Derby.
4. James Noon (1843-1925), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.
5. Sir Ismail Noon (1893-1987), a prominent Pakistani industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of Pakistan's textile industry.
While the Noon surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved over centuries and been carried by individuals from various walks of life, leaving an indelible mark on the historical tapestry of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noon
Among Census respondents with the surname Noon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Noon 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 Noon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 2,320
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 117
- Two or more races3.7% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 91
- Black or African American2.1% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noon
Noon 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
#9,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,433
+426 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 426 places
2020
#11,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,721
-712 bearers (-20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 1,654 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,899 | 3,007 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,473 | 3,433 | 1.16 | +426 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 426 places |
| 2020 | #11,127 | 2,721 | 0.91 | -712 bearers (-20.7%) | Down 1,654 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 Noon 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 | #9,473 | #11,127 | -17.5% |
| Count | 3,433 | 2,721 | -20.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 0.91 | -21.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noon bearers went from 3,433 to 2,721 (-20.7% change). The surname moved down 1,654 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,473 to #11,127.
FAQ
Noon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noon?
Name Census estimates that about 3,120 living Americans carry the surname Noon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,857 residents.
How common is Noon?
Noon ranks #11,127 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,721 people with the surname Noon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Noon.
Has Noon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noon went from 3,433 recorded bearers to 2,721. That is a decrease of 712 (-20.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,473 to #11,127.
What does the Census say about the background of Noon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Noon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (2,320 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Noon (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 Noon mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "at the foot of a hill" or "a hilltop." 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 Noon (0.91 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 Americans have the surname Noon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.