# Nolan (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/nolan/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Irish.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Irish |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 46,054 |
| US rank (2010) | 754 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 6,704 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.7% (44,421 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnoʊlən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Anglicized from Irish Ó Nualláin (literally “descendant of Nuallán”), diminutive of nuall (“chariot-fighter, champion”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Nolan in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 87% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 7.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.9% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 1.7% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Nolan in the United States, Australia, Argentina and the United Kingdom.

## People named Nolan

- Jonathan Nolan, British-American filmmaker (born 1976)
- Sidney Nolan, Australian artist (1917–1992)
- Lloyd Nolan, American actor (1902-1985)
- Jeanette Nolan, American actress (1911–1998)
- Norma Nolan, Argentine model (1938–2025)
- John Nolan, British actor
- Deanna Nolan, American basketball player
- Rick Nolan, American politician (1943–2024)
- William F. Nolan, American writer (1928-2021)
- Doris Nolan, American actress (1916–1998)
- Jerry Nolan, American drummer (1946–1992)
- Mae Nolan, American politician (1886–1973)

and 4 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Nolen, Nowlin, Nolin, Newlin, Nealon, Newlon.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.