Noble History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
France
Scotland
Ireland
England

Etymology of Noble

What does the name Noble mean?

From the historical and enchanting region of Scotland emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Noble family. Originally, the Scottish people were known only by a single name. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name.

Noble is a nickname type of surname for a person of exceptionally graceful character having derived from the Old French word noble, which was of essentially the same meaning as the modern English term. "This complimentary sobriquet was not allowed to die out by the fortunate possessors, and they have bred a large progeny." 1

Looking back further, the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed Walter and Gillebert le Noble, Normandy 1180 - 1195. 2

Early Origins of the Noble family

The surname Noble was first found in East Lothian where "an English family of this name settled as subvassals of the family of de Vallibus (Vaux) at the end of the twelfth century. William Nobilis held part of the lands of Garmilton under William de Vallibus. He was succeeded by his son Radulph who confirmed his father's grants. Radulphus Nobilis witnessed a grant by Vinianus de Mulineys to the Hospital of Soltre, 1198-1234, and between 1214-30 he witnessed an agreement between the monks of Neubotle and Adam Malherb, lord of Morham. " 3

Further to the south in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Amice le Noble, Huntingdonshire; Hugh le Noble, Bedfordshire; and Thomas le Noble, Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Robertus Nobill. 1

Early History of the Noble family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Noble research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1337, 1464, 1467, 1489, 1490, 1495, 1497, 1504 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Noble History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Noble Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Noble, Nobel, Nobille, Norbell, MacNoble, Nobill, Nobil, Nobelle, Noeble, Nobile, Nobels, Nobells, McNoble and many more.

Early Notables of the Noble family

Notable among the family at this time was

Vilyam Nobile, chamberlain and procurator of the abbot of Arnbroath at Inverness in 1464, and the Nobles of that town may be descended from him. In 1467 the Nobles of Ferm had a charter of the lands o...

Noble World Ranking

In the United States, the name Noble is the 691^st most popular surname with an estimated 42,279 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Noble is ranked the 594^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,488 people with that name. 5 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Noble is the 266^th popular surname with an estimated 166 people with that name. 6 France ranks Noble as 4,268^th with 1,500 - 2,000 people. 7 Australia ranks Noble as 360^th with 10,038 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Noble as 485^th with 1,409 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Noble as 332^nd with 18,494 people. 10

Migration of the Noble family to Ireland

Some of the Noble family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Noble migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Noble Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Noble, aged 21, who arrived in Isla de Providencia in 1635 aboard the ship "Expectation" 11
Thomas Noble, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 11
William Noble, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 11
Michaell Noble, who landed in Virginia in 1643 11
Robert Noble, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Noble Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anthony, Noble Sr., who landed in Pennsylvania in 1734 11
Cathrine Noble, aged 5, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1734 11
Anthony Noble, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1743 11
Duncan Noble, who landed in Florida in 1786 11
Henery Noble, who arrived in Mississippi in 1798 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Noble Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Brabazen Noble, who landed in New York in 1801 11
Alexander Noble, who arrived in Ohio in 1805 11
Brabison Noble, aged 77, who arrived in New York in 1812 11
David Noble, aged 33, who arrived in New York in 1812 11
Archibald Noble, aged 44, who landed in New York in 1812 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Noble migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Noble Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Francis Noble, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Francis Noble, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Francis Noble U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 12
Mr. Francis Noble U.E. born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 12
Sgt. John Noble U.E. (b. 1757) born in USA who settled in Maugerville, Sunbury County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he enlisted in 1778 serving in the Maryland Loyalists 1st Battalion, he is a survivor of the shipwreck "Martha" in 1783, he died in 1846 Chatham, Northumberland County, New Brunswick 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Noble Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry Noble, who landed in Canada in 1832
Ambrose Noble, who arrived in Canada in 1834
William Noble, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Nancy" in 1834
Elizabeth Noble, aged 19, a spinster, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Nancy" in 1834
Robert Noble, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Nancy" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Noble Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

J H Noble, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Noble migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Noble Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Matthew Noble, British Convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Miss Isabella Noble, (b. 1795), aged 18, Irish convict who was convicted in Longford, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. Archibald Noble, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. John Noble, English convict who was convicted in East Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Miss Mary Noble who was convicted in Glamorganshire, Wales for 14 years, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Noble migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Noble Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. H. Noble, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Rock City" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th June 1855 18
Joseph Noble, aged 38, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Shamrock" in 1856
Mary Noble, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Shamrock" in 1856
Joseph Noble, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Shamrock" in 1856
Mr. John Noble, Scottish ploughman travelling from Leith aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 8th January 1858 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Noble migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19

Noble Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

George Noble, who settled in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635
Mr. George Noble, (b. 1613), aged 22, British settler traveling aboard the ship "William and John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 20
Mark Noble, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife, children, and servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Noble (post 1700) +

James Wilkes Noble (1922-2016), American actor, best known for his portrayal of Governor Eugene Gatling on the American sitcom Benson
Gilbert Edward "Gil" Noble (1932-2012), American television reporter and interviewer
William Noble (1866-1945), American missionary in Korea
Warren Noble (1885-1950), British-born American automotive engineer and inventor of the electric stove
James Noble (b. 1922), American soap opera actor
James Noble (1785-1831), American politician, U.S. senator from the U.S. state of Indiana
Gladwyn Kingsley Noble (1894-1940), American zoologist
Elmer Noble (1909-2001), American professor of zoology at the University of California
David Gordon Noble (1900-1983), nicknamed "Big Moose", an American NFL football running back
David L. Noble, American engineer at IBM, inventor of the floppy disk
... (Another 99 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Noble family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Florence Noble, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 21
Mr. George Noble (1880-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 21
Mr. James Noble (1904-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 21

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Charles Taylor Noble (1899-1941), Australian Regulating Petty Officer from Woollongong, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 22

HMS Cornwall

Gilbert John Noble, British Lieutenant (E) aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 23
Bertie George Noble (d. 1942), British Marine aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 23

HMS Hood

Mr. Alexander Noble (b. 1921), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Wallsend, Northumberland, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 24

HMS Royal Oak

Thomas A. Noble, British Petty Officer Telegraphist with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 25

The Noble Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fide et fortitudine
Motto Translation: By fidelity and fortitude.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html