NameCensus.

UK surname

Noble

An aristocratic surname indicating a person of high social ranking or noble birth.

In the 1881 census there were 12,481 people recorded with the Noble surname, ranking it #338 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,194, ranked #328, up from #338 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, Rosehearty and Strathbeg and Fraserburgh Central-Academy.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Noble is 18,489 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.8%.

1881 census count

12,481

Ranked #338

Modern count

18,194

2016, ranked #328

Peak year

2014

18,489 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Noble had 12,481 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #338 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,194 in 2016, ranked #328.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,317 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Noble surname distribution map

The map shows where the Noble surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Noble surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Noble over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 7,991 #351
1861 historical 8,166 #335
1881 historical 12,481 #338
1891 historical 13,362 #326
1901 historical 15,317 #338
1911 historical 13,683 #357
1997 modern 17,556 #334
1998 modern 18,148 #336
1999 modern 18,202 #338
2000 modern 18,130 #335
2001 modern 17,776 #333
2002 modern 18,056 #334
2003 modern 17,538 #339
2004 modern 17,523 #339
2005 modern 17,279 #339
2006 modern 17,261 #339
2007 modern 17,337 #339
2008 modern 17,430 #338
2009 modern 17,956 #336
2010 modern 18,231 #338
2011 modern 18,056 #336
2012 modern 17,839 #331
2013 modern 18,297 #333
2014 modern 18,489 #330
2015 modern 18,322 #329
2016 modern 18,194 #328

Geography

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Where Nobles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Fraserburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fraserburgh Smiddyhill, Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Fraserburgh Central-Academy, Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea and Scarborough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Fraserburgh Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fraserburgh Smiddyhill Aberdeenshire
2 Rosehearty and Strathbeg Aberdeenshire
3 Fraserburgh Central-Academy Aberdeenshire
4 Fraserburgh Harbour and Broadsea Aberdeenshire
5 Scarborough 004 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Noble

These lists show first names that appear often with the Noble surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Noble

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Noble, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Noble surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Noble household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Noble is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Noble is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Noble falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Noble is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Noble, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Noble

The surname Noble originated in France and England during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French and Anglo-Norman words "noble" and "nobile," meaning someone of noble birth, high rank, or superior character. The name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited these qualities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Noble can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Ricardus le Noble in Suffolk.

In the 12th century, the name Noble appeared in various records across England and France. For example, a Norman noble named Richard le Noble was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1166. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Noble, who served as a knight and ambassador for King Edward III of England in the 14th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Noble surname was also associated with various places in England, such as Noble's Green in Hertfordshire and Noble's Park in Wiltshire. These place names may have contributed to the surname's spread and regional variations in spelling, including Nobyll, Nobell, and Nobble.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Noble surname in Scotland dates back to the 15th century, with the mention of John Noble of Ferme in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1456. Another notable Scottish bearer of the name was Andrew Noble, a prominent minister and theologian born in 1632.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Noble surname, including:

1. Michael Noble (1618-1684), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. 2. John Noble (1725-1807), an American soldier and political leader who served as a brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War. 3. Alfred Noble (1844-1914), a Swedish engineer and industrialist who founded the Nobel Prize and invented dynamite. 4. John Willock Noble (1831-1912), an American politician who served as the Secretary of the Interior under President Benjamin Harrison. 5. Michael Noble (1944-1995), an American actor best known for his roles in films such as Dances with Wolves and Thunderheart.

The surname Noble has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various backgrounds, including nobility, clergy, scientists, politicians, and entertainers. Its origins and meaning reflect the aspirations and qualities associated with nobility and high moral character.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Noble families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Noble surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 2,500 Nobles recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.08x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,500 2.08x
Lancashire 1,010 0.70x
Middlesex 915 0.75x
Durham 766 2.12x
Aberdeenshire 757 6.74x
Midlothian 498 3.06x
Surrey 455 0.77x
Lanarkshire 361 0.92x
Cumberland 307 2.94x
Northumberland 299 1.66x
Kent 294 0.71x
Northamptonshire 268 2.35x
Nottinghamshire 241 1.47x
Inverness-shire 231 6.38x
Leicestershire 175 1.30x
Gloucestershire 170 0.71x
Somerset 170 0.87x
Lincolnshire 166 0.86x
Renfrewshire 164 1.74x
Hampshire 158 0.64x
Essex 145 0.61x
Westmorland 142 5.33x
Cambridgeshire 134 1.74x
Suffolk 125 0.85x
Derbyshire 118 0.62x
Ross-shire 114 3.42x
Cornwall 110 0.80x
Wiltshire 110 1.03x
Norfolk 97 0.52x
Huntingdonshire 86 3.57x
Cheshire 84 0.31x
Angus 83 0.74x
Morayshire 77 4.09x
Sussex 77 0.38x
Warwickshire 67 0.22x
Bedfordshire 66 1.05x
Staffordshire 58 0.14x
Ayrshire 57 0.63x
Perthshire 46 0.85x
Devon 45 0.18x
Monmouthshire 43 0.49x
Peeblesshire 43 7.54x
Fife 40 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 37 0.50x
Kincardineshire 33 2.23x
Roxburghshire 33 1.50x
Hertfordshire 32 0.38x
Glamorgan 29 0.14x
Selkirkshire 27 2.46x
Banffshire 25 0.99x
Oxfordshire 25 0.33x
West Lothian 23 1.26x
Dorset 22 0.28x
Argyllshire 21 0.62x
Brecknockshire 21 0.87x
Dumfriesshire 21 0.78x
Nairnshire 21 5.67x
Stirlingshire 21 0.47x
Worcestershire 18 0.11x
Caithness 16 0.96x
Anglesey 15 0.70x
Royal Navy 15 1.04x
Shetland 15 1.21x
Berwickshire 11 0.75x
Dunbartonshire 11 0.34x
Berkshire 10 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 9 0.23x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.14x
Channel Islands 7 0.19x
Shropshire 7 0.07x
Orkney 6 0.45x
East Lothian 5 0.31x
Isle of Man 4 0.18x
Herefordshire 3 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.04x
Flintshire 2 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.11x
Rutland 2 0.22x
Sutherland 2 0.21x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.10x
Wigtownshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire leads with 454 Nobles recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.58x.

Place Total Index
Fraserburgh 454 143.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 127 1.94x
Leeds 125 1.84x
Barony 111 1.12x
Almondbury 105 18.07x
Govan 100 1.03x
Inverness 99 10.87x
North Leith 95 12.63x
Elland Cum Greetland 92 16.99x
Liverpool 85 0.97x
Bishopwearmouth 82 2.65x
Southwark St George Martyr 82 3.36x
Leicester St Margaret 80 2.44x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 76 3.62x
Hackney London 76 1.12x
Gateshead 73 2.70x
Camberwell 71 0.92x
Bethnal Green London 66 1.25x
Rishton 66 39.09x
St Pancras London 66 0.68x
Bradford 65 2.23x
Lambeth 65 0.61x
Barrow In Furness 64 3.27x
Islington London 62 0.53x
Glasgow 59 0.85x
Newington 59 1.32x
Darlington 56 4.02x
Huddersfield 55 3.14x
Halifax 54 3.06x
Nottingham St Mary 54 1.28x
Mile End Old Town 52 2.72x
South Leith 51 2.79x
Whickham 51 15.36x
Abbey 48 3.35x
Shoreditch London 48 0.91x
Wellingborough 48 8.37x
Westoe 48 2.35x
West Ham 47 0.89x
Holy Trinity 46 1.59x
Elswick 45 3.12x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 45 2.88x
Kensington London 45 0.67x
Moy Dalarossie 45 132.00x
Horton In Bradford 44 2.34x
Whitby 44 10.86x
Oldham 43 0.93x
St Marylebone London 43 0.66x
Peterborough 41 4.96x
Aberdeen Old Machar 40 1.71x
Chorlton On Medlock 40 1.75x
Paddington London 40 0.90x
Skircoat 40 8.44x
Brighton 39 0.95x
Northowram 39 4.63x
Shitlington 39 31.36x
Manchester 38 0.59x
Peterhead 37 6.23x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 36 1.61x
Stranton 36 2.96x
Hulme 35 1.16x
Sheffield 35 0.91x
Thornhill 35 9.98x
Bitton 34 16.42x
Deal 34 9.63x
Everton 34 0.74x
Great Harwood 34 13.07x
Heworth 34 4.78x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 34 11.21x
West Ardsley 34 23.51x
Dundee 33 0.79x
Girton 33 529.70x
Whiteparish 33 72.26x
Dukinfield 32 2.59x
Haswell 31 11.99x
Toxteth Park 31 0.64x
West Derby 31 0.74x
Birmingham 30 0.29x
Dalkeith 30 9.36x
Kendal 30 6.15x
Manningham 30 2.03x
Rastrick 30 8.99x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Noble surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 697
Sarah 383
Elizabeth 376
Jane 248
Ann 222
Annie 175
Emma 155
Alice 137
Eliza 133
Ellen 131
Hannah 122
Margaret 122
Emily 102
Martha 93
Harriet 63
Maria 60
Edith 59
Catherine 55
Florence 54
Isabella 54
Charlotte 49
Louisa 49
Clara 48
Ada 46
Kate 45
Caroline 43
Harriett 38
Frances 31
Anne 27
Susannah 27
Lucy 26
Agnes 23
Fanny 23
Amelia 22
Elizth. 22
Ethel 22
Rachel 22
Rose 22
Gertrude 20
Susan 20
Esther 19
Julia 19
Laura 19
Rebecca 19
Matilda 18
Minnie 18
Ruth 18
Jessie 17
Beatrice 15
Sophia 15

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Noble surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 631
William 576
Thomas 336
George 309
James 282
Henry 202
Charles 179
Joseph 151
Robert 132
Alfred 95
Arthur 89
Richard 76
Walter 72
Edward 71
Mark 69
Albert 64
Samuel 63
Harry 60
Frederick 57
Ernest 38
David 36
Tom 33
Herbert 32
Frank 31
Fred 31
Francis 29
Benjamin 24
Edwin 24
Matthew 24
Alexander 22
Isaac 21
Thos. 21
Joe 19
Wm. 18
Geo. 17
Andrew 16
Daniel 14
Hugh 14
Sam 12
Horace 11
Christopher 10
Luke 9
Peter 9
Allen 8
Chas. 8
Percy 8
Edgar 7
Jas. 7
Robt. 7
Stephen 7

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Noble households.

FAQ

Noble surname: questions and answers

How common was the Noble surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,481 people were recorded with the Noble surname. That placed it at #338 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Noble surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,194 in 2016. That gives Noble a modern rank of #328.

What does the Noble surname mean?

An aristocratic surname indicating a person of high social ranking or noble birth.

What does the Noble map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Noble bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.