Noland
A surname usually treated as a later form of Nolan, itself from an Irish Gaelic family name.
The #3,772 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 32,894 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Noland is generally understood as a spelling variant or anglicized form of Nolan, from Irish Gaelic Ó Nualláin, meaning descendant of Nuallán. The older Irish personal name Nuallán is usually connected with nuall, meaning "noble" or "famous," though some 19th-century writers also treated related forms rather loosely. In English records, the spelling Noland often reflects phonetic spelling and the instability of Irish names as they were recorded by clerks.
History
The historical sources supplied treat Noland alongside Nolan and Nowlan, which strongly suggests it developed as an English spelling variant rather than a separate family name. It appears in Irish-American and Irish record traditions, where surnames were often written in several interchangeable forms. In modern use it is much less common than Nolan, but it has remained established as a distinct surname in some families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname lists, Noland is often grouped with Nolan/Nowlan rather than treated as an independent origin, which is a good clue that the spelling grew out of local pronunciation and recordkeeping.
From the historical record
“6 rixiAllAin, O'Nowlan, O'Nolan. Nowlan, Nolan, Noland, &c. 6 UtiAriAin, Noonane, Noonan, Nunan, Newnan ; Noone. O tKicAin, Newton.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames