Noel is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Noel means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Noel across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Noel has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Noel is a unisex name of French origin meaning “Christmas”. From the French word for Christmas, given to those born at that season.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 67,380 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,861 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 201 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 129 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8,107 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 778 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Noel per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2014 (1,107/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1966 (397/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (123/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2018 (14/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (9/yr).
Noel has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2014, when it ranked #616 nationally (given to 1,250 babies that year).
Neil · Nayeli · Nell · Noelle · Neal · Nola · Newell · Nayely
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