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Nolan History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Nolan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Nolan

What does the name Nolan mean?

Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, Nolan appeared as Ó Nualláin, which is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "nuall," meaning "nobler, famous." 1 2

"Ó Nualláin, this name is numerous in all the provinces, especially in its homeland, south-east Leinster. " 3

Early Origins of the Nolan family

The surname Nolan was first found in County Carlow (Irish: Cheatharlach) a small landlocked area located in the province of Leinster in the South East of Ireland "where they were chiefs of Fotharta Feadha, now the barony of 'Forth.' From Eochaidh Fionn-Fohart descended O'Nowlan or Nolan or Fowerty (or Foharta), in Lease (or Leix.) " 4

Early History of the Nolan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nolan research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1784, 1793, 1796, 1803, 1804, 1811, 1832, 1837 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Nolan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nolan Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Nolan revealed many variations, including Nolan, O'Nolan, Nowlan, O'Nowlan, O'Nowland, Knowlan, Noland and many more.

Early Notables of the Nolan family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Rev. Edward Nolan (1793-1837) , Bishop of Kildare. He was born in Tullow, Co. Carlow in 1793. He was educated at Carlow College from 1804 until 1811 when he went to Maynooth College
Frederick Nolan (1784-1864), the Irish divine was born at Old Rathmines Castle, co. Dublin, the seat of his grandfather, on 9 Feb. 1784 and was third son of Edward Nolan of St. Peter's, Dublin, by his...

Nolan World Ranking

In the United States, the name Nolan is the 741^st most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Nolan is ranked the 227^th most popular surname with an estimated 193 people with that name. 6 And in Australia, the name Nolan is the 292^nd popular surname with an estimated 12,090 people with that name. 7 New Zealand ranks Nolan as 629^th with 1,129 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Nolan as 522^nd with 12,601 people. 9

Nolan migration to the United States +

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Nolan or a variant listed above, including:

Nolan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Catherine Nolan, who arrived in Maryland in 1655 10

Nolan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

P Nolan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 10
John M Nolan, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822 10
Arthur Nolan, aged 28, who landed in Missouri in 1844 10
Samuel Nolan, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 10
Francis Nolan, who arrived in Mississippi in 1846 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nolan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nolan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Bernard Nolan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1828
Mary Nolan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1828
Mathew Nolan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1832
John Nolan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1832
Sarah MacFarlan Nolan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nolan migration to Australia +

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

Nolan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Ann Nolan, Irish convict who was convicted in Carlow, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Patrick Nolan, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Hugh Nolan, a baker, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Bridget Nolan, English convict from Dorset, who was transported aboard the "America" on December 30, 1830, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 12
James Nolan, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nolan 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:

Nolan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Honora Nolan, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "John Masterman" in 1857
John Nolan, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "John Masterman" in 1857
James Nolan, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
Laurence Nolan, aged 29, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Reiherstieg" in 1864
Ann Nolan, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Reiherstieg" in 1864
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nolan (post 1700) +

Richard Michael Nolan (1943-2024), American politician and businessman
Christopher Jonathan James "Chris" Nolan (b. 1970), British-born, American three-time Academy Award nominated film director, screenwriter, and producer
Kathleen Nolan (b. 1933), Born Jocelyn Schrum, an American actress, best known for her role as Kate McCoy, the housewife in the Walter Brennan series The Real McCoys (1957-1962)
Gerard "Jerry" Nolan (1946-1992), American rock drummer, best known for his work with The New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers
Joseph William Nolan (b. 1951), American former professional baseball player
Jeanette Nolan (1911-1998), American four-time Emmy Award nominated radio, film, and television actress
Gary Nolan (b. 1954), American talk radio host
Gary Lynn Nolan (b. 1948), American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher
Deanna Nicole "Tweety" Nolan (b. 1979), American WNBA basketball player
David Fraser Nolan (1943-2010), American activist and politician, one of the founders of the Libertarian Party of the United States
... (Another 36 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Nolan family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Michael T Nolan (1967-1985), American Private 1st Class from Plymouth, Minnesota, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 14

SS Atlantic

Mary Nolan, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1830 with 135 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1830
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LLOYDS from London 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Lloyds.htm
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550