Noss last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Noss

A surname derived from the Old English word "nosu" meaning nose or promontory.

Noss, 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 Noss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noss in America

Noss is the 20591st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noss surname appeared 1,287 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Noss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noss 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 20591 19302 6.46%
Count 1,287 1,299 -0.93%
Proportion per 100k 0.44 0.48 -8.70%

The history of the last name Noss

The surname Noss originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "nos," which means "nose" or "promontory." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a prominent headland or cliff.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a Robert de Noses is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been pronounced with a long "o" sound.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various manorial records and charters from the county of Yorkshire. Notably, a William de Nosse is mentioned in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1260.

The Noss surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Noss Mayo in Devon and Noss Head in Caithness, Scotland. These locations may have been named after individuals with the surname, or the surname may have derived from these place names.

Notable individuals with the surname Noss throughout history include:

  1. John Noss (c. 1590-1673), an English Puritan clergyman and author.
  2. James Noss (1670-1739), a Scottish merchant and landowner in Virginia, United States.
  3. Benjamin Noss (1757-1826), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler of Kentucky.
  4. Thomas Noss (1785-1864), an English architect and surveyor known for his work in Bath.
  5. Susanna Noss (1828-1905), a Norwegian-American pioneer who settled in Minnesota.

While the Noss surname is not among the most common in England or other parts of the world, it has a rich history dating back several centuries. Its origins likely stem from geographic features or place names, and it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the years.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noss

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

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 Noss was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.94% 1,209
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.32% 17
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.17% 15
Hispanic Origin 3.03% 39

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 Noss has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.94% 93.92% 0.02%
Black 1.32% 1.85% -33.44%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.17% 0.92% 23.92%
Hispanic 3.03% 2.31% 26.97%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Noss last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/noss-surname-popularity/.

"Noss last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/noss-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Noss last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/noss-surname-popularity/.

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