Comments for NOEL:

A famous bearer of this name is Noel Gallagher of the British rock band Oasis.

-- Anonymous User  8/12/2005

Actually pronounced NOLL, like Knoll.

-- mariej2  8/31/2005

English speakers normally pronounce this 'NOH-ull'. It can also be a female name, as in Noel Streatfield, who wrote the 'Gemma' books of the 60s/70s.

-- Elly747  10/29/2005

I love this name, it's pretty.

-- charis  10/27/2005

Another famous bearer is Noel Coward (playwright etc).

-- Anonymous User  12/14/2005

Noel Blanc is the son of Looney Tunes/Hanna-Barbera voice actor Mel Blanc.

-- Anonymous User  7/26/2006

Anyone who lives in England knows Noel Edmonds. If you don't then where have you been? He is known for his appealing shirts which apparently were bought by his daughters, as he has no fashion sense AT ALL. He is the presenter of Deal or No Deal. And, before it ended Noel's House Party. He doesn't like Mr Blobby.

-- Luangi  8/11/2006

This is my middle name; I'm a girl but I was named after my great-grandfather, so I spell it the masculine way. I love this name.

-- glaucous  9/5/2006

Actually in the USA this name is normally pronounced as one syllable, rhyming with "hole" or "mole".

-- clevelandkentevans  10/25/2006

I love this name, for both genders. It's very pretty and reminds me of bells.

-- tokidoki_xx  11/23/2006

Noel Fielding plays Vince Noir in the comedy series The Mighty Boosh.

-- Anonymous User  12/2/2006

This name is also spelt Noël, like the word in French.

-- Anonymous User  12/2/2006

I'm pretty sure that you can pronounce it "No-elle". I know someone named this and that's how she pronounces it.

-- flipflop1215  12/11/2006

I have always loved this name and it's also my husbands name. A lot of people call him No-ell and he hates it, he's always fast to correct them.

-- jjsrule2  12/15/2006

Noel means birth in France.

-- honungspinglan  1/8/2007

Noel does not mean "birth" in France. It means "Christmas"! "Naissanie" means "birth".

-- elliebeth  2/16/2007

Noel can also be used for females.

-- Miracle1980Olympics  6/10/2007

Also an unusual masculine name in Slovenia.

-- earthnut  7/2/2007

I don't know about it being *normally* pronounced in the USA as "NOL". I've lived in the US all my life and only heard it as "no-EL" until recently when I saw something about Tropical Storm Noel on the news and noticed they were pronouncing it the other way.

-- Aughadan  11/1/2007

This is the real name of Paul Stookey of the trio Peter, Paul & Mary.

-- Zenith87  12/8/2007

I've always pronounced it no-ELL. The only person I know with this name is female, though, so it might be pronounced differently for boys.

-- nessime  1/9/2008

I love the name Noel, it can be a great name for a guy (sounds strong when you pronounce it like noll) but it's so pretty for a girl (especially one born around Christmas).
Someone brilliant who has this name, for all you amazing Doctor Who fans, Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith). Gotta love him!

-- carlisle_01  1/11/2008

This is my father's name. I like it and I would use it as a middle name if I had a son or Noelle as a first name if I had a daughter. It isn't overused and suits people young and old.

-- Anonymous User  2/4/2008

Noel is a boys' name, and it's pronounced NOL. If you want a girls' name pronounced no-EL, that is Noelle. Unless you are French, there is no reason to pronounce Noel as no-EL, and even then, it is masculine.

-- Skittsie13  2/19/2008

There's every reason to prononce Noel as no-EL if that is how your parents spell the name they gave you. I named my daughter Noel and I wanted it spelled just as it is seen everywhere at Christmas. Every year since before I was born my Grandma put large electric candels in her front window that had NOEL on them and my favorite memory is driving up to their house at night and seeing those glowing in the window.

-- adriannelisa  3/14/2008

Noel can also be used as a feminine name and was a popular girls name in the early 1900s. A famous woman was author Noel Streatfeild 1895-1986.

-- roseredfearn  9/29/2008

Don't forget Noel Edmonds.

-- Anonymous User  11/13/2008

I love this name, but only pronounced no-EL. I have NEVER heard this name pronounced NOL, and I don't know why anyone would degrade this name with that awful pronunciation. I also like the name Noelle. If I have a boy on Christmas I might give this as a middle name, if I have a girl on Christmas I might give Noelle as a middle name.

-- Anonymous User  12/23/2008

I wish it was pronounced NO-el, with the emphasis on the first syllable. I find it more mature-sounding, like Neal etc. Noel sounds so feminine and a bit like a lower class name. And it sounds kitschy. I only like the pronunciation no-EL in France where it is simply the correct pronunciation.

-- LoQuiero  1/6/2009

I know a girl (born the day after Christmas), with the middle name Noel. She pronounces it no-ELL. It's alright. I definitely prefer no-ELL over NOLL, which sounds clumsy. But for a girl I prefer Noelle.

-- emmiix3  3/14/2009

The meaning, the sound of it (when pronounced NOL, that is), everything about it just tickles me to the core. Plus it gives me a very distinctly British impression, which is a plus (I can't help it, I'm an anglophile). Noel will be my baby boy's name, if I ever have one. It makes me think of sexy British guys; I want my son to be a sexy British guy (or at least sexy).

-- DuskyJewel  5/13/2009

Noel is the French word for Christmas and is a not-too-uncommon name for children born during the Christmas season.

However, there is an assertion that Noel does NOT mean "birth". Sorry, but ultimately it does. Romance (that mean Latin-derived) languages' word for "Christmas" is usually some derivative of the natalis -- Latin for "birth". Noel is Old French, and is, indeed Latin-derived.

The English male name is commonly pronounced No-wuhl, but if it is accompanied by a trema (two dots over the "e") then it is pronounced No-el (to the English-trained ear this sounds like No-well, but there is a subtle difference).

Technically, if it is a female name, it should be spelled Noelle. However, some women are named with the masculine spelling and the French pronunciation, especially if they are Christmas babies.

-- NoelFigart  8/28/2009

Key: Meaning/History Usage Pronunciation Famous Bearer Personal Impression Other

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