An Irish surname, Nolan comes from the Gaelic term ‘nuall’ which means to be famous or noble. The spelling variations for Nolan include Nolen, Nalon, Nolin and Noland. In England the Nolan surname is primarily to the north in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Durham. In Scotland the Nolan families are in the southern region, mostly in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Midlothian and Dumfries-shire. Within the United States the original locations for the Nolan families were in the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois and California. Famous: Barry Nolan (television host and presenter), Chris Sean Nolan (movie film writer, director and songwriter), Joe Nolan (professional baseball player), Lloyd Nolan (actor), Graham Nolan (comic book artist), Monica Nolan (professional tennis player), William F. Nolan (novelist), Pat Nolan (Canadian hockey player) and Leo Nolan (professional boxer).