Explore the Family Name Nolf

The meaning of Nolf

1. Flemish and German: from a short form of the personal name Arnolf, composed of the ancient Germanic elements arn ‘eagle’ + wulf ‘wolf’. This surname is very rare in Germany; see also Nolff. 2. Flemish: from a shortened form of the personal name Nodolf, derived from the personal name Odolf by transfer of the final -n in a preceding personal name such as Jan, Simoen. Odolf is composed of the ancient Germanic elements aud ‘wealth’ + wulf ‘wolf’.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Nolf has seen a decline in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 32,823 in terms of frequency, but by 2010 it had slid to rank 35,395, marking a decrease of 7.84%. The actual count of individuals carrying the Nolf surname also fell from 659 in 2000 to 636 in 2010, a drop of 3.49%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people decreased by 8.33%, going from 0.24 in 2000 to 0.22 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#32,823#35,395-7.84%
Count659636-3.49%
Proportion per 100k0.240.22-8.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nolf

Observing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Nolf as per the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of the bearers identified as White, accounting for 97.42% in 2000 and slightly dipping to 96.07% in 2010. There were no reported bearers who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black in either year. Individuals identifying with two or more races made up 1.37% in 2000, but this figure dropped by 31.39% to 0.94% in 2010. Interestingly, there was a notable emergence of individuals identifying as Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010, which were both at 0% in 2000.

20002010Change
White97.42%96.07%-1.39%
Hispanic0%1.89%0%
Two or More Races1.37%0.94%-31.39%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.94%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%