Origin of the Name Nolan
The ancient history of the name
Nolan was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives.
Over the centuries Surnames developed a wide number of variants. Different spellings of the same name can be traced back to an original root. Additionally when a bearer of a name emigrated it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books at their new location. Surnames were also often altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another.
Variants of the name Nolan
include O'Nolan and Knowlan. Meaning 'Descendant of Nuallain', this Sept is of great antiquity being associated with that part of Ireland which lies around the Barony of Forth, in County Carlow. Their Chiefs held high hereditary office under the Kings of Leinster in pre-Norman times and were known as Princes of Fohafta. After the invasion their power declined but they still retained considerable influence. In the sixteenth century a branch of the Nolans migrated to Counties Mayo and Galway where they became extensive landowners. It is in these Counties where the name is most popular today. A most notable person of the name was Philip Nolan, who was a notorious frontiersman in America, 1771-1801.
The Nolan coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms, including all Nolan descendants.