Explore the Family Name Noel
The meaning of Noel
1. French and Walloon (Noël); English: from the Old French personal name Noël, Middle English Noel, from Old French no(u)el ‘Christmas’ (from Latin natalis (dies) ‘birthday’), used for someone born during the Christmas period. Alternatively, a nickname for someone who had some special connection with the Christmas season, such as owing the particular feudal duty of providing a yule-log to the lord of the manor, or having given a memorable performance as the Lord of Misrule. This surname is also found in the Flemish part of Belgium. Compare Christmas and Newell. 2. English: sometimes a post-medieval variant of Knowle and Knoll (see Knowles). The loss of /k/ before /n/ is known in everyday speech by the 17th century and may have been earlier. History: The surname Noel of French origin (see 1 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (in the form Noël) and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Pierre, Normand, Antoine, Jacques, Alphonse, Leonce, Lucien, Marcel, Damien, Emile, Francois.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Noel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Noel" has seen a slight increase between the years 2000 and 2010. Ranked as the 1130th most popular surname in 2000, it moved up to 1103rd place by 2010, representing a change of 2.39%. The number of individuals carrying the Noel surname also increased from 28,401 to 31,768 during this period, marking an 11.86% growth. Consequently, the proportion of people named Noel per 100,000 increased by 2.28%, from 10.53 in 2000 to 10.77 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,130 | #1,103 | 2.39% |
| Count | 28,401 | 31,768 | 11.86% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.53 | 10.77 | 2.28% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Noel
When considering the ethnicity associated with the surname "Noel", the Decennial U.S. Census data highlights some interesting shifts over the 2000-2010 decade. The proportion of Noels identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black saw increases of 26.03%, 45.26%, and 22.70% respectively. However, those identifying as White experienced a decline of 9.57%, while the percentage of Noels identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased slightly by 7.14%. Interestingly, those reporting two or more races dropped significantly by 38.30%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 66.16% | 59.83% | -9.57% |
| Black | 27.4% | 33.62% | 22.7% |
| Hispanic | 2.32% | 3.37% | 45.26% |
| Two or More Races | 2.82% | 1.74% | -38.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.73% | 0.92% | 26.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.52% | -7.14% |
Noel ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Noel is British & Irish, which comprises 42.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.4%) and Nigerian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Italian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 42.2% |
| French & German | 27.4% |
| Nigerian | 4.5% |
| Other | 25.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Noel
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Noel have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 71.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 71.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
What Noel haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Noel is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-S14328, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Knight, Dennis, Ott, Ingram, Nash, Bowers, Snell, Fletcher, Weber, Fox.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Noel surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Noel have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Noel" Surname 41.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Noel" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Noel" Surname 22.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Noel" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Noel?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Noel are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition