Show ContentsNolin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, Nolin 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 Nolin family

The surname Nolin 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 Nolin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nolin 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 Nolin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nolin 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 Nolin revealed many variations, including Nolan, O'Nolan, Nowlan, O'Nowlan, O'Nowland, Knowlan, Noland and many more.

Early Notables of the Nolin 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...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nolin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nolin World Ranking

In the United States, the name Nolin is the 9,520th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Nolin is ranked the 853rd most popular surname. 6 And in France, the name Nolin is the 9,128th popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 7


United States Nolin migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Nolin family relocated to North American shores quite early:

Nolin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Nolin, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Indiana in 1837 8
  • Ulric Nolin, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 8
  • Alice Nolin, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Etruria" from Liverpool & Queenstown 9
Nolin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • James Walter Nolin, aged 51, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Vestris" from Liverpool, England 9
  • Ivy Ruby Nolin, aged 11, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Vestris" from Liverpool, England 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Nolin (post 1700) +

  • Michael Nolin, American motion picture producer, studio executive, writer/director and educator
  • Gena Lee Nolin (b. 1971), American actress and model
  • Rebecca Nolin (b. 1983), born Rebecca Hall, an English professional footballer
  • Pierre Claude Nolin (1950-2015), Canadian politician and Senator, Speaker of the Senate (2014-2015)
  • Marie-Paule Nolin (1908-1987), French Canadian high-fashion designer
  • Julie Nolin, Canadian journalist
  • Joseph Octave Nolin (1866-1925), Canadian Métis provincial politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
  • Charles Nolin (1837-1907), Canadian Métis farmer and politician who opposed the North-West Rebellion of 1885, first cousin Louis Riel, MLA Batoche (1891-1892)


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  4. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  7. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  8. 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)
  9. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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