Nolen
An Irish surname usually treated as a variant of Nolan, meaning “descendant of Nuallán” or “descendant of Noell” in older explanations.
The #3,315 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,535 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Nolen is generally regarded as a variant spelling of Nolan. In Irish family-name tradition, Nolan is commonly explained as coming from Ó Nualláin, meaning “descendant of Nuallán,” a personal name often linked with the idea of “famous” or “noble.” Some older English-language writers instead connected it with forms like Noell/Noon, but that explanation is now usually treated as less secure. The surname has also been used as an Anglicized spelling form in English-speaking countries.
History
The historical excerpts you provided specifically call Nolen a less common form of Nolan. In Ireland and among Irish emigrant communities, spellings such as Nolen, Nolan, Noonan, and related forms often overlapped in records because pronunciation and spelling were not yet standardized. In the United States, Nolen has remained a relatively uncommon but established surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname collector noted Nolen simply as a rarer spelling of Nolan, which is a good reminder that many family names appeared in several parallel forms before modern record-keeping stabilized them.
From the historical record
“Nevirss, Newett, Newinger, Newsom, Niehaus, NiHAN and Nihen, Niles, Nims, Noblock, Nodeen, Noel, Noether, Nolen, Noll (from Oliver), Nolte, NOLTIE, NOONAN, NoRDENSHIELD, NoRMILE, NoRRIS, Nottage, Nowell, Nowers, Nowitski, Nudd, Nulty,”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)