Noah
A biblical surname and given name from Hebrew meaning “rest” or “consolation.”
The #6,384 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 57,904 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Noah comes from the Hebrew name Nōaḥ, traditionally explained as meaning “rest,” “repose,” or “consolation.” In the Bible, Noah is the patriarch who survives the Flood, so the name carried strong religious associations in Christian Europe. As a surname, it usually arose from use of the personal name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
The surname is comparatively uncommon and is often found as an English surname derived from the forename Noah. The name became familiar through biblical use, especially after the Reformation when scriptural names were more widely adopted. In some cases, older spellings or related forms such as Noy may appear in historical records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century etymological writer glossed Noah as “rest,” while others preferred the broader sense of “consolation,” showing how biblical name meanings were often paraphrased rather than fixed.
From the historical record
“LAMECH, " To the humble ;" NOAH, " Eest or consolation."* These names in the order in which they are re- corded, read thus: "To man, once made in the image of God, now substituted by man frail and full of sorrow, the blessed God himself shall come down to the earth teaching, and his death shall send to the humble…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian NamesNotable people named Noah
- Yannick Noah (b. 1960)
- Trevor Noah (b. 1984)
- Joakim Noah (b. 1985)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.