O'Nowlan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of O'Nowlan

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

Early History of the O'Nowlan family

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

O'Nowlan Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name O'Nowlan dating from that time include Nolan, O'Nolan, Nowlan, O'Nowlan, O'Nowland, Knowlan, Noland and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Nowlan family

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 wife Florinda. In 1796 he entered Trinity College...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Nowlan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Nowlan family

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 O'Nowlan family relocated to North American shores quite early: Catherine Noland, who sailed to Maryland in 1655.