The Nobles surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,965 people carried this name — #2,782 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 22,700 people counted. That is up 7% from 12,149 in 2000.

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In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 43 people named Nobles.

10 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Alpes-Maritimes.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 10
Alpes-Maritimes 27
Bouches-du-Rhône 3
Essonne 2
Haute-Garonne 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 32 people named Nobles live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Entre Ríos.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Entre Ríos 20
Santa Fe 12

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Nobles in American newspapers,
1883–1921.

Newspaper page from The Hattiesburg News carrying the name Nobles
The Hattiesburg News 1908-07-01
Newspaper page from New-york Tribune carrying the name Nobles
New-york Tribune 1883-07-18
Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Nobles
The Birmingham Age-herald 1921-02-04

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 18,382 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Nobles in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1970s.

853 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nobles. The most, 184, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 258
New South Wales 220
Western Australia 174
Queensland 144
South Australia 29
Tasmania 21
Northern Territory 3
ACT (Canberra) 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nobles.

Who carried it

People named Nobles,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William H. Nobles
    William H. Nobles 1816–1876 · politician
  • William Nobles
    William Nobles 1892–1968 · cinematographer
  • Bob Nolan
    Bob Nolan 1908–1980 · composer
  • Mildred K. Nobles 1903–1993 · botanical collector
  • Billy Myles 1924–2005 · composer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Nobles,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States666 records

666 records of the Nobles name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 419
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 159
  • Other U.S. records 88
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John O. Nobles

    Born 1917 in Texas. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Bliss El Paso; farm hand from Midland County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Resthaven Memorial Park, Midland, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Aubrey Eldon Nobles

    Born 1932; from Navasota, Texas. U.S. Army, military police; died in service 1972 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joseph Nobles

    Arrived at New York in 1870 aboard the Emerald Isle from Liverpool, aged 26; shoemaker. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 666 records for Nobles in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands20 records

20 records of the Nobles name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 16
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 3
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Philibert Nobles

    Died 1812 in Utrecht, aged 23.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Wilhelmina Nobles

    Married in 1795 in Breda.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Elizabeth Cornelia Nobles

    In the population register of Vlissingen; born 1819 in Vlissingen.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Nobles in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia16 records

16 records of the Nobles name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 10
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 2
  • Other Australian records 4
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Nobles

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Admiral Gambier, arriving 1811; ticket of leave 1838. Native of Bedfordshire.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Louisa Nobles

    Arrived in Queensland in 1884 aboard the Roma, aged 16.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Biographical index Charles Nobles

    In the Western Australian Biographical Index; born 1836.

    State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Nobles in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France15 records

15 records of the Nobles name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Felix Nobles

    Born 1910 in Marseille; died 1979 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Alexandrine Nobles

    Born 1909 in Beaulieu-sur-Mer; died 1986 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean-Michel Adrien Nobles

    Born 1945 in Algeria; died 1998 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Nobles in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Canada11 records

11 records of the Nobles name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 8
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 2
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Harry James Nobles

    Died 1970 in Kearney Lake, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 47.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Nobles

    Buried in 1944 at Lundys Lane Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

    City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Alfred Nobles

    Born 1871 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 11 records for Nobles in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Germany2 records

2 records of the Nobles name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johann Nobles

    From Freisheim, Coblenz. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 3 August 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 167).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Ludwig Nöbles

    From Anrath, Crefeld. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 3 August 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Nobles.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Nobles is.
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Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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