Cole
An English surname from col, “coal,” for dark hair; also a short form of Nicholas.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Cole first shows up in the national records in 1886. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1997 to 2011. Its biggest year was 2002, when 6,038 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 69 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 182 for boys. All told, 154,646 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Kole (9,855), Kohl (1,759) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Nicholas
Explore Cole interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 | No. 845 |
| 1890s | 5 | No. 1051 |
| 1900s | 16 | No. 1162 |
| 1910s | 190 | No. 935 |
| 1920s | 156 | No. 1696 |
| 1930s | 127 | No. 1658 |
| 1940s | 224 | No. 1127 |
| 1950s | 562 | No. 884 |
| 1960s | 703 | No. 776 |
| 1970s | 1,444 | No. 592 |
| 1980s | 8,722 | No. 202 |
| 1990s | 33,868 | No. 72 |
| 2000s | 56,846 | No. 69 |
| 2010s | 36,401 | No. 90 |
| 2020s | 14,823 | No. 132 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.