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There are two possible explanations for the origin of the English surname Noe. In the first instance, the surname may be patronymic to origin, being one of the surnames based on the first name of a father and in this case the surname would be derived from the Hebrew "Noah", meaning "long lived" or "rest". Alternatively, the surname may be of nickname origin, being one of those surnames based on a physical or personal characteristic of the original bearer and in this instance the surname would be derived from someone who played the part of Noah in a medieval drama or play. The present form of the surname is most unusual and is probably explained by the dropping of the initials "a" and "hg" from the name by medieval clerks and recorders who spell surnames according to the way they sounded, thus the form Noe. The omission of the middle letters from surnames was a frequent onamastic practice known as aspiration. The surname as it stands today was most likely an abbreviation of the original spelling form "Noah" and the apostrophe was probably added to indicate that the surname was a contracted form of the original name. Some early references to the surname include mention of the surname Noe in 1125 ("The Staffordshire Charlulary") and also one Thomas filius Noe ("Filius" meaning "son of" and indicating the patronymic origin of the surname) from Warwickshire who is mentioned for the year 1185 ("Records of the Templars in England in the twelfth century"). Variants of the surname include Noy, Noyes, Noice and Noise.
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