indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from given name & from nickname)
Usage Medieval English, Korean
Pronounced Pron. NO(Middle English) NO-ee(Middle English) NO-ay(Middle English) /nwe/(Korean) [key·simplify]
Other Forms FormsNoë, Noé, Noè, Noy, Noye, Noyce, Noyse, Noice, Noyes; Noi, Roe, Roi
Meaning & History
A patronymic form of the biblical male given name Noah from the Hebrew word "noach" meaning long-lived. Possible origins could be
• returning 12th c. knights to Europe from their attempts to acquire the city of Jerusalem from Muslims found it fashionable to christen subsequent children with biblical or Hebrew names, which later developed into surnames.
• the name of an actor who played the part of Noah in medieval miracle plays based on the story of Noah and his ark.
Surname Noe is well recorded in surviving London church registers from the Elizabethan times. The first recorded spelling of Noe appears in the register of the Knight Templars (Crusaders) for the county of Warwickshire in the year 1185, during the reign of King Henry II of England.A Korean name meaning "thunder" or "to request". Originates from Chinese surnames Lei and Lai.
• returning 12th c. knights to Europe from their attempts to acquire the city of Jerusalem from Muslims found it fashionable to christen subsequent children with biblical or Hebrew names, which later developed into surnames.
• the name of an actor who played the part of Noah in medieval miracle plays based on the story of Noah and his ark.
Surname Noe is well recorded in surviving London church registers from the Elizabethan times. The first recorded spelling of Noe appears in the register of the Knight Templars (Crusaders) for the county of Warwickshire in the year 1185, during the reign of King Henry II of England.A Korean name meaning "thunder" or "to request". Originates from Chinese surnames Lei and Lai.