NOON
Noon is a surname with dual origins that can be traced to both the English and the Irish linguistic traditions of the British Isles. Historically, it has appeared in a number of variant spellings, including Noen, Noon and Noone, each of which preserves the same core phonetic identity while reflecting distinct etymological paths.
In the English tradition, the surname developed as a nickname for a person described as bright and cheerful. This sense of brightness is derived from the Old English word non, a shortened form of the Latin nona, which originally referred to the ninth hour of the day – approximately three o’clock in the afternoon. Over time, the understanding of the word shifted as monastic meal times were moved forward, bringing the meaning of non into correlating with the midday period. Thus, in medieval England, a person singled out for their sunny disposition could acquire the surname Noon as a metaphorical reference to the brightest part of the day.
Irish sources place the name in the Gaelic surname Ó Nuadháin, meaning "descendant of Nuadhán". The personal name Nuadhán is in turn attested to be derived from the word nuadh, which means "new" or "modern". The surname entered the anglicised register in forms such as Noon and Noone, and it remains relatively common in modern Ireland. Historical records trace the name to County Mayo, where it is often associated with local families claiming ancestry from the ancient dynasties of the Connacht region.
In parallel, a separate Irish lineage can be linked to the sept of O'Nuadhain, whose origins are predominantly recorded in the far west of Ireland, particularly County Sligo. According to onomastic evidence, this sept traces its descent to Niall of Nine Hostages, a 4th‑century figure who is noted for his expansive influence across Scotland and Ulster. The earliest documented instances of the name in this area appear in the 1659 Irish census, where individuals bearing the surname Noon were listed in Sligo. Subsequent references include the scholarly enrolment of Andrew Noone at Oxford University in 1575 and the baptismal record of John Noon, son of John and Martha Noon, dated 19 March 1726 at St. Dunstan’s in the East, Stepney.
Thus, the surname Noon exemplifies a dual heritage, with an English folk‑etymology rooted in brightness and an Irish Gaelic heritage grounded in familial descent. Both strands coexist within historical documentary evidence while reinforcing the surname’s long presence across the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Noon surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Carol
- Catherine
- Diane
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Noon in...
Braille
⠝⠕⠕⠝
Morse
-.-------.
Semaphore
There are approximately 4,549 people named Noon in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,061st most common surname in Britain. Around 70 in a million people in Britain are named Noon.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Noon
- Gulam Noon, Baron Noon - Businessman (1936 to 2015)
- Jeff Noon - Writer
- Jamie Noon - Rugby union player
- Harry Noon - Football player (1937 to 1996)
- Colin Noon - Rugby union player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.