How did the Noland name originate?

The earliest record of the Nolands has been found in Ireland.  Traditionally, the O'Nialion clan was found in several of the countries in the eastern area of Ireland, including County Carlow.  The ancient Gaelic spelling for the Noland clan name was O'Niallon (Niall means "Great Chieftain").  The first written mention of our name spelled O'Nolan was when King Henry II confirmed to John O'Nolan his rights and possessions of land in Carlow around the year 1160 A.D.  One of the reason for the change in the Noland name is that the English language was slowly being introduced into Ireland and the revised pronunciation and spelling lost it's Gaelic flavor . . . which meant that O'Niallon became O'Nolan.  Upon immigration into America, the "O" was dropped and even later, the English "d" was added to some of the families.  There are various spellings of the Noland name including Nolan, Nolen, Nolin, Nowlin and Nowland.

Noland Coat of Arms and Motto

The Noland heraldic coat of arms is an ancient family crest that was bestowed on members of the Noland clan centuries ago for military services and steadfast loyalty which had been rendered by the Nolands to kings and chiefs of ancient Ireland.  One of the first recording of the Noland family crest was for the Chiefs of Fotharta-Tea.  This area is now the Barnoy of Forth (Carlow).  The crest or coat of arms plaque is dissected by a red cross which symbolized the powerful undergirding of faith and strength which the Nolands held in their belief and trust in God.  Each quarter of the cross contains an unsheathed sword upraised and ready to do battle to protect the things they held dear.  The red color on the swords denotes the blood lost in battles fought in defense of their honor and beliefs.  Each leg of the red cross shows a legendary bird called a Mariet, which is always drawn without feet.  The Mariet symbolized great courage and is usually the distinctive mark of a fourth son.  At the center of the cross is a lion, further symbolizing courage.  The motto written in Latin below the crest, reads "Cor Unum Via Una" which translates to "One Heart, One Way".