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

Noyes, 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 Noyes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noyes in America

Noyes is the 3666th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noyes surname appeared 9,710 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Noyes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noyes 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 Noyes

The surname Noyes is of English origin, and it is derived from the Old French word "noye," which means "walnut tree." The name is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a walnut tree or a place with an abundance of walnut trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Noyes can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de la Nuye." This entry suggests that the name was originally used as a locational surname, referring to a place called "la Nuye" or "Nuye," which could have been derived from the Old French word "noye."

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de la Noye," "de Noy," and "Noy." These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the influence of regional dialects.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Noyes was Robert de la Noye, who lived in Oxfordshire, England, in the late 13th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Noyes, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Noyes was associated with several prominent individuals, including Reverend William Noyes (1568-1622), a Puritan clergyman who played a significant role in the early settlement of New England. His son, Reverend James Noyes (1608-1673), was also a Puritan minister and co-founder of the town of Newbury, Massachusetts.

Another notable individual with the surname Noyes was Nicholas Noyes (1647-1717), a prominent merchant and politician in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He served as a member of the Governor's Council and was involved in various business ventures.

In the 18th century, the name Noyes was associated with John Humphrey Noyes (1811-1886), a utopian socialist and founder of the Oneida Community, a religious commune in New York. He is known for his controversial beliefs and practices, including the concept of "complex marriage," which involved multiple partners.

Throughout history, the surname Noyes has been spelled in various ways, including Noy, Noye, Noies, and Noyse. Some of these variations reflect regional dialects or scribal errors in historical records.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noyes

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

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

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

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