Show ContentsNoell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the French names to come from Normandy, Noell is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived at Noailles, in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Noell family

The surname Noell was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where they held a family seat at Noailles, and the scion of the family was Robert Noel. This knight, Robert Noel, accompanied William, Duke of Normandy, in his conquest of England in 1066 and was granted many lands, including those of Ellenhall, Wiverstone, Podmore and Milnese. Robert, Lord of Ellenhall became Lord of Gainsborough which was granted to him by King Henry I, King of both England and Normandy.

Early History of the Noell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Noell research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1573, 1755, 1806, 1826 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Noell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Noell Spelling Variations

History has changed the spelling of most surnames. During the early development of the French language in the Middle Ages, a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there spelling variations of the name Noell, some of which include Noell, Noelle, Noel, Noël, Noailles, Noe, Noue, de Noel and many more.

Early Notables of the Noell family

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

Noell Ranking

In the United States, the name Noell is the 15,722nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Noell migration to the United States +

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Noell has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Noell were

Noell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Roger Noell, who landed in Virginia in 1663 2
  • James Noell, who arrived in Maryland in 1672 2
Noell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Henry Noell, who landed in Arkansas in 1904 2

Australia Noell migration to Australia +

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

Noell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Stephen Noell, aged 21, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Lord Raglan" 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Noell (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Estes Noell (1839-1867), American politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri, son of John William Noell
  • Charles P. Noell (1812-1887), born in Virginia, San Diego Democratic politician and merchant who built first wooden building in the city
  • Thomas Noell (d. 1702), English-born merchant and later politician, the Mayor of New York from 1701 to 1702
  • John William Noell (1816-1863), American politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri
  • R. J. Noell, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1920 4
  • John William Noell (1816-1863), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Missouri, 1859-63 4
  • Edward E. Noell, American politician, Postmaster at Hampton, Virginia, 1807-17 4
  • Helena Noell Seger (b. 1970), former Swedish model actress
  • Noell Coet (b. 1994), American actress from Carrollton, Texas, known for Stage V (2016), Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (2013) and Be Afraid (2017)

HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Alfred John Noell (1922-1941), Australian Stoker from Bickley, Western Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 5


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. South Australian Register Wednesday 25th October 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lord Raglan 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/lordraglan1854.shtml
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp


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