Noll
A surname that usually began as a nickname for Oliver, though in some cases it may also reflect a form of Knoll.
The #3,442 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,761 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest historical explanation is that Noll was a familiar short form of Oliver, with an initial N added in the way some nicknames picked up a leading consonant. In older surname books, it is also sometimes linked to Knoll, meaning a hill or hilltop, though that seems to be the secondary explanation. The Oliver connection is the one most clearly supported by the cited sources.
History
19th- and early-20th-century surname writers regularly glossed Noll as a nickname of Oliver, and related forms such as Nolls and Nollekins were treated the same way. The nickname was famous through the phrase "Old Noll" for Oliver Cromwell, which helped keep the form recognizable. In some family lines, however, the surname may instead go back to a topographic Knoll-derived form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
"Old Noll" was a well-known nickname for Oliver Cromwell, and that famous usage helped make the short form especially memorable.
From the historical record
“Noble [Ir. nuall -(- the dim. suff. -dti] NOLL I a pet form of Oliver (q.v.) with attracted N-. Here; lies Oliver Goldsmith, for short- ness called Noll. — D. Garrick. 2 for Knoll, q.v. I (Celt.)" the Ir. Nuadhan (nepotic”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)