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

Noonan, 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 Noonan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noonan in America

Noonan is the 2711th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noonan surname appeared 13,286 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Noonan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noonan 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 Noonan

The surname Noonan has its origins in Ireland, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'Nuadhain," which means "descendant of Nuadhan." Nuadhan was a relatively common given name in ancient Ireland, stemming from the Old Irish word "nuadh," meaning "new" or "fresh."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1063, a figure named Toirdhealbhach O'Nuadhain is mentioned as a chief of the Ui Fiachrach Aidne, a prominent Irish clan based in what is now County Galway.

The Noonan surname is particularly associated with the counties of Galway and Mayo in the western province of Connacht. However, due to migration and the dispersal of Irish families during the 16th and 17th centuries, the name can now be found throughout Ireland and in various parts of the English-speaking world.

An early bearer of the name was Sir John Noonan, a prominent Irish judge and legal scholar who lived during the 16th century. He served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1568 to 1571 and played a significant role in the development of Irish common law.

Another notable figure was Michael Noonan, an Irish politician and economist who served as Minister for Finance of Ireland from 2011 to 2017. He played a crucial role in guiding Ireland's economic recovery following the global financial crisis of the late 2000s.

In the realm of literature, Kathleen Noonan was an Irish-American novelist and short story writer who lived from 1915 to 2008. Her works often explored themes of Irish-American identity and the immigrant experience.

The name Noonan has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Noonan's Bridge in County Cork and Noonan's Cross in County Tipperary. These place names often derive from the presence of Noonan families in those areas or from significant events or landmarks associated with individuals bearing the surname.

Additionally, the name has been recorded in various historical documents, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were records of letters patent issued by the English Crown during the Tudor period. These records provide valuable insights into the distribution and activities of Noonan families in Ireland during that time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noonan

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

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

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

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