Show ContentsNoblitt Surname History

Early Origins of the Noblitt family

The surname Noblitt was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Succeeding was Walter Noblet who held the estates in 1187.

Early History of the Noblitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Noblitt research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1327 are included under the topic Early Noblitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Noblitt Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Noblitt family name include Noblet, Noblett, Noblit, Noblitt and others.

Early Notables of the Noblitt family

More information is included under the topic Early Noblitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Noblitt Ranking

In the United States, the name Noblitt is the 11,808th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Noblitt migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Noblitt family to immigrate North America:

Noblitt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Noblitt, who landed in Texas in 1835 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Noblitt (post 1700) +

  • James Randall Noblitt, American researcher and co-author of Cult and Ritual Abuse: Its History, Anthropology, and Recent Discovery in Contemporary America in 1995
  • Bob Noblitt (b. 1942), former American football and wrestling coach, 31st head football coach at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas
  • Niles Noblitt (b. 1951), American member of the board of trustees of the Rose-Hulman Institute, eponym of 77856 Noblitt, a minor planet discovered in 2001
  • Irene Noblitt (1902-1973), birth name of Irene Ryan, an American two-time Emmy Award nominated actress and comedienne who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television, and Broadway, best known for her portrayal of Daisy May "Granny" Moses, mother-in-law of Buddy Ebsen's character Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971)
  • W. S. Noblitt, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Hawaii Territory, 1904 4
  • Q. G. Noblitt, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1940 4
  • Harding Noblitt, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1964 4


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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