Noel
Meaning of Noel
Imagine a candlelit Midnight Mass in old Provence, the choir lifting the refrain of “Noël!,” and you have the cradle of the name Noel—a French word born from the Latin natalis, “birth,” forever intertwined with Christmas joy. Over the centuries the name has slipped into English, Spanish, and Portuguese like a velvet ribbon threading through cultures, greeting both boys and girls with equal warmth. Noel sounds like a bell’s clear chime—noh-EL—simple to say, yet rich with yuletide sparkle, and it carries friendly echoes of carols (“The First Noel”), rock-star swagger (Noel Gallagher), and stand-up quirk (Noel Fielding). In the United States the name never deserts the stage; for more than a hundred years it has hovered reliably in the 300s and 400s, a steady heartbeat amid trendier highs and lows. Choosing Noel is a bit like tucking a snow-globe into your child’s pocket: a tiny world of wonder, ready to be shaken into spontaneous flurries of cheer whenever life needs a gentle snowfall.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as noh-EL (/noʊˈɛl/)
French
- Pronunced as noh-EL (/nɔ.ɛl/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Noel
| English musician Noel Gallagher, Oasis lead guitarist and primary songwriter who later formed Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, is widely hailed as one of the most successful and influential songwriters in British rock. |
| Noel Anthony Clarke is an English actor, writer, director, and producer best known as Mickey Smith in Doctor Who and for creating the acclaimed Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood films. |
| Noel Neill was an American actress and model best known for playing Lois Lane in the 1948 and 1950 Superman serials and the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman, with 80 screen credits. |
| Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse was an English doctor, Olympic athlete, and British Army officer, and one of only three people ever awarded the Victoria Cross twice. |
| Noel Fitzpatrick is an Irish veterinary surgeon in Surrey best known for The Supervet and for leading Fitzpatrick Referrals, specializing in orthopedic and neurosurgical care. |
| Noel Gilroy Annan, Baron Annan, was a British military intelligence officer, author, and academic, a colonel and OBE, provost of King's College Cambridge and UCL, vice chancellor of the University of London, and a member of the House of Lords. |
| Archibald Noel Skelton was a Scottish Unionist politician as well as a journalist and intellectual. |
| Noel Rosa was a Brazilian singer songwriter who redefined samba by blending its Afro Brazilian roots with urban wit to deliver ironic social commentary. |
| Australian track athlete Noel Stanley Clough competed in the 400 and 800 metres and the 400 metre hurdles. |
| Noël Coward - Sir Noel Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer celebrated for his wit, flamboyance, and stylish poise. |
