NameCensus.

UK surname

Noblett

A surname derived from the Old French word "noble," implying aristocratic or noble lineage.

In the 1881 census there were 287 people recorded with the Noblett surname, ranking it #10,014 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 477, ranked #10,344, down from #10,014 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Lytham and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Ribble, Blackburn with Darwen and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Noblett is 509 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.2%.

1881 census count

287

Ranked #10,014

Modern count

477

2016, ranked #10,344

Peak year

2010

509 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Noblett had 287 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,014 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 477 in 2016, ranked #10,344.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 378 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Noblett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Noblett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Noblett 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 131 #17,052
1881 historical 287 #10,014
1891 historical 292 #11,351
1901 historical 378 #9,862
1911 historical 328 #10,714
1997 modern 442 #10,209
1998 modern 443 #10,526
1999 modern 451 #10,435
2000 modern 466 #10,163
2001 modern 455 #10,147
2002 modern 468 #10,117
2003 modern 461 #10,072
2004 modern 473 #9,905
2005 modern 482 #9,685
2006 modern 479 #9,788
2007 modern 485 #9,780
2008 modern 489 #9,808
2009 modern 491 #9,999
2010 modern 509 #9,916
2011 modern 499 #9,965
2012 modern 479 #10,176
2013 modern 495 #10,093
2014 modern 496 #10,124
2015 modern 485 #10,233
2016 modern 477 #10,344

Geography

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Where Nobletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Lytham, Preston, Blackburn and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Ribble, Blackburn with Darwen, Chorley and Ribble Valley. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Lytham Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Ribble 002 South Ribble
2 Blackburn with Darwen 010 Blackburn with Darwen
3 Chorley 002 Chorley
4 Ribble Valley 007 Ribble Valley
5 South Ribble 012 South Ribble

Forenames

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First names often paired with Noblett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Noblett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Noblett, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Noblett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Noblett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Noblett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Noblett 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

Noblett 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 Noblett 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 Noblett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Noblett

The surname Noblett is of English origin, arising in the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a place name referring to a small village or hamlet. Some etymologists suggest it may be derived from the Old English words "nobbe" meaning a knob or rounded hill, and "lett" meaning a tract of land or clearing, indicating the name may have originated from a small settlement situated on a hilltop.

The earliest recorded instance of the Noblett surname dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, where it appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1297 as "Robertus de Nobelet". This suggests the name may have originated from a now-lost place name in that region, perhaps a village or manor.

In the 14th century, the name is found in various records from Lancashire and Cheshire, with spellings such as "Nobelot" and "Nobelott". This indicates the surname's spread across northern England during the Middle Ages.

One notable early bearer of the Noblett name was John Noblett, a yeoman farmer who lived in the village of Cliviger, Lancashire in the late 15th century. Records from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Accrington in 1492 mention him as "John Noblett de Cliviger".

Another historical figure was Elizabeth Noblett, who was born around 1550 in Whalley, Lancashire. She is mentioned in the parish records as having been accused of witchcraft in 1612, though the outcome of her case is not known.

In the 17th century, the Noblett surname appears in various parish registers across Lancashire and Yorkshire, including the baptism of James Noblett in 1632 in Burnley, and the marriage of Robert Noblett and Elizabeth Hargreaves in 1658 in Colne.

One notable bearer of the name was John Noblett, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the late 17th century. He was born in 1645 in Whalley and became a successful trader in cloth and wool, acquiring several estates in the area.

As the Noblett family spread across northern England, variations in spelling emerged, such as Noblit, Noblitt, and Noblett. By the 18th century, the surname had become well-established in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and parts of Cheshire and Derbyshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Noblett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Noblett 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. Lancashire leads with 239 Nobletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.19x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 239 7.19x
Surrey 11 0.81x
Cheshire 7 1.13x
Middlesex 5 0.18x
Shropshire 5 2.07x
Kent 4 0.42x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 9.87x
Staffordshire 3 0.32x
Yorkshire 3 0.11x
Flintshire 2 2.66x
Derbyshire 1 0.23x
Devon 1 0.17x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Lanarkshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 79 Nobletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.88x.

Place Total Index
Preston 79 88.88x
Clitheroe 23 235.17x
Blackburn 19 21.50x
Walton Le Dale 14 156.77x
Bradford 12 77.17x
Balderstone 9 1914.89x
Layton With Warbreck 9 73.83x
Bermondsey 8 9.60x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 15.16x
Barrow In Furness 7 15.49x
Pleasington 7 1555.56x
Romiley 7 402.30x
Little Hulton 6 109.09x
Standish With Langtree 6 146.70x
Condover 5 294.12x
Lower Booths 5 84.03x
West Derby 5 5.14x
Bexley 4 47.39x
St Pancras London 4 1.78x
Urr 4 75.90x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 4.13x
Fishwick 3 146.34x
Hoghton 3 357.14x
Osbaldeston 3 2000.00x
Ardwick 2 6.68x
Fulwood 2 55.71x
Habergham Eaves 2 6.59x
Hulme 2 2.88x
Leeds 2 1.28x
Llanasa 2 76.63x
Over Darwen 2 7.54x
Wandsworth 2 7.42x
Wolstanton 2 6.97x
Accrington 1 3.31x
Alverstoke 1 4.81x
Barony 1 0.44x
Beswick 1 11.76x
Camberwell 1 0.56x
Crumpsall 1 12.77x
Devonport 1 14.93x
Dilworth 1 49.02x
Edale 1 312.50x
Great Eccleston 1 166.67x
Huddersfield 1 2.47x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 5.98x
North Meols 1 3.08x
Paddington London 1 0.97x
Salford 1 1.02x
Warrington 1 2.54x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 20
John 18
William 17
James 11
Joseph 11
Richard 8
Robert 6
George 4
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Wm. 3
Edward 2
Joshua 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Austin 1
Francis 1
Job 1
Jonas 1
Leonard 1
Louis 1
Mathew 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Rt. 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Vincent 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Noblett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Noblett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 287 people were recorded with the Noblett surname. That placed it at #10,014 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Noblett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 477 in 2016. That gives Noblett a modern rank of #10,344.

What does the Noblett surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "noble," implying aristocratic or noble lineage.

What does the Noblett map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Noblett 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.