Explore the Family Name Nolan

The meaning of Nolan

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Nualláin ‘descendant of Nuallán’, a personal name representing a diminutive of nuall ‘famous, noble’. Compare Nolen and Nowlin. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, John Patrick, Liam, Cathal, Clancy, Conor, Fergus, Kieran, Seamus, Siobhan, Aileen, Brigid.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Nolan in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Nolan saw a slight decrease in rank between 2000 and 2010, moving from 705 to 754, which represents a change of -6.95%. However, the count of individuals with this last name increased by 3.68% over the same period, growing from 44,421 to 46,054. The proportion per 100,000 people dropped slightly from 16.47 to 15.61, indicating a decrease of -5.22%.

20002010Change
Rank#705#754-6.95%
Count44,42146,0543.68%
Proportion per 100k16.4715.61-5.22%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nolan

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Nolan also underwent some changes during this decade as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 41.46%, while the White population decreased by -1.95%. Those identifying with two or more races saw an increase of 34.96%. The Hispanic group experienced the highest growth rate at 44.06%, but they still represent a relatively small percentage of the overall total. The Black population saw a minor increase of 2.76%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a growth of 7.69%.

20002010Change
White88.58%86.85%-1.95%
Black7.24%7.44%2.76%
Hispanic2.02%2.91%44.06%
Two or More Races1.23%1.66%34.96%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.41%0.58%41.46%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.52%0.56%7.69%

Nolan 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 Nolan is British & Irish, which comprises 58.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.5%) and Eastern European (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish58.3%
French & German17.5%
Eastern European5.7%
Other18.6%
Nolan

Possible origins of the surname Nolan

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 Nolan have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom84.70%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom84.60%
Merseyside, United Kingdom84.40%
West Midlands, United Kingdom84.40%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom84.10%

What Nolan 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 Nolan is R-S568, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S568 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cullen, Kelly, Connor, Barron, Kelley, Curran, Murray, Neal, Patterson, Conner.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Nolan surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

nolanPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to Niall of the Nine Hostages

The spread of haplogroup R-M222 in northern Ireland and Scotland was likely aided by men like Niall of the Nine Hostages. Perhaps more myth than man, Niall is said to have been a King of Tara in northwestern Ireland in the late 4th century C.E. His name comes from a tale of nine hostages that he held from the regions he ruled over. Though the legendary stories of his life may have been invented hundreds of years after he died, genetic evidence suggests that the Uí Néill dynasty, whose name means "descendants of Niall," did in fact trace back to just one man who likely bore haplogroup R-M222, a branch of R-M269.The Uí Néill ruled to various degrees as kings of Ireland from the 7th to the 11th century C.E. In the highly patriarchal society of medieval Ireland, their status allowed them to have outsized numbers of children and spread their paternal lineage each generation. In fact, researchers have estimated that between 2 and 3 million men with roots in north-west Ireland are paternal-line descendants of Niall.

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Nolan 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

Nolan

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Nolan" Surname 41.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Nolan

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Nolan" Surname 29.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Nolan

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Nolan" Surname 19.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Nolan

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Nolan" Surname 16.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Nolan?

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 Nolan are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%