Noon
An Irish surname that likely comes from Gaelic words meaning “new” or “fresh,” though some English lines may also have influenced it.
The #9,473 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 89,935 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest historical evidence treats Noon as an anglicized Irish surname, especially from O'Nuadhain. That Gaelic form is commonly linked with nuadh, meaning “new,” plus a diminutive ending, so the sense is roughly “descendant of the little/new one” or “descendant of Nuadhan.” Some 19th-century writers also suggested an English origin in certain cases, including a possible connection with Nunn, but the Irish derivation is the better-attested one for the surname as a whole.
History
The name is found in Ireland under forms such as O'Nuadhain and later Noon or Noone. In English records it can occasionally be confused with, or separately arise from, other surnames such as Nunn, so not every modern Noon family necessarily shares the same origin. The surname is relatively uncommon in the United States today and is most often associated with Irish ancestry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A few older surname dictionaries treat Noon as a possible spelling or branch of other names, showing how often scribes reshaped Irish names into familiar English-looking forms.
From the historical record
“NOON NOONE/ —genitive— form O'Nuadhain) = the New [Ir. (and Gael) nuadh (dh mute), new + the dim. suff. -an] NOPPS, an unvoiced form of Nobbs, q.v. NORBURY (Eng.) Bel. to Norbiiry = the”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)