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Nolan Family History

Nolan Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Nualláin ‘descendant of Nuallán’ a personal name representing a diminutive of nuall ‘famous noble’.

Compare Nolen and Nowlin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Nolan family from?

You can see how Nolan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nolan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nolan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 18 Nolan families living in New York. This was about 30% of all the recorded Nolan's in USA. New York had the highest population of Nolan families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nolan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Nolan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nolan. 13% of Nolan men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Nolan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nolan were Clerk and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Nolan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    13%
  • Farmer
    7%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    5%

What Nolan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 370,000 census records available for the last name Nolan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nolan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Nolan

Passenger Lists

There are 62,000 immigration records available for the last name Nolan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 62,000 military records available for the last name Nolan. For the veterans among your Nolan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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