At a glance
- In short
- Cole comes from an English surname based on Old English Cola, meaning charcoal, or a short form of Nicholas.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #182 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 2,003 (0.11% of boys)
- Trend
- Slipping #133 in 2020 to #182 in 2025
- Peak
- #69 in 2002–2003
- Top state
- #66 in New Hampshire
- First recorded
- 1886
Meaning of Cole
Cole began as an English surname with two possible sources. One is Cola, an Old English byname meaning charcoal, probably given to someone with dark hair or a dark complexion; the other is a medieval short form of Nicholas. It is pronounced KOHL, like the word coal.
The name is familiar from the nursery rhyme Old King Cole. Notable people named Cole include country singer-songwriter Cole Swindell and actor Cole Sprouse, known for The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Riverdale.
In the U.S., Cole was uncommon until the early 1980s, then climbed quickly in the 1990s. It reached its highest rank, 69th, in 2002 and 2003, and 2002 was its biggest year, with 6,038 boys given the name. It has gradually slipped since, and in 2025 it ranked 182nd, with 2,003 boys.
How to pronounce Cole
English
- Pronounced KOHL /koʊl/
Popularity of Cole in the U.S.
Cole was the #182 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 2,003 babies. It peaked at #69 in 2002–2003 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1967. It first appears in the records in 1886.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1886–2025 121 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,003 | 182 | ▼ 20 |
| 2024 | 2,224 | 162 | ▼ 7 |
| 2023 | 2,364 | 155 | ▼ 11 |
| 2022 | 2,626 | 144 | ▼ 12 |
| 2021 | 2,835 | 132 | ▲ 1 |
| 2020 | 2,771 | 133 | ▼ 10 |
| 2019 | 3,093 | 123 | ▼ 5 |
| 2018 | 3,348 | 118 | ▼ 2 |
| 2017 | 3,468 | 116 | ▼ 6 |
| 2016 | 3,604 | 110 | ▲ 5 |
| 2015 | 3,499 | 115 | ▲ 1 |
| 2014 | 3,426 | 116 | ▼ 2 |
| 2013 | 3,454 | 114 | ▼ 12 |
| 2012 | 3,779 | 102 | ▼ 8 |
| 2011 | 4,140 | 94 | ▼ 4 |
| 2010 | 4,590 | 90 | ▼ 8 |
| 2009 | 5,278 | 82 | ▲ 3 |
| 2008 | 5,389 | 85 | ▼ 1 |
| 2007 | 5,703 | 84 | – |
| 2006 | 5,640 | 84 | ▼ 5 |
| 2005 | 5,587 | 79 | ▼ 4 |
| 2004 | 5,648 | 75 | ▼ 6 |
| 2003 | 5,898 | 69 | – |
| 2002 | 6,038 | 69 | ▲ 5 |
| 2001 | 5,739 | 74 | ▼ 3 |
| 2000 | 5,926 | 71 | ▲ 4 |
| 1999 | 5,317 | 75 | ▲ 2 |
| 1998 | 5,148 | 77 | ▼ 5 |
| 1997 | 5,159 | 72 | ▲ 34 |
| 1996 | 3,737 | 106 | ▲ 12 |
| 1995 | 3,150 | 118 | ▼ 7 |
| 1994 | 3,302 | 111 | ▲ 19 |
| 1993 | 2,665 | 130 | ▲ 13 |
| 1992 | 2,312 | 143 | ▲ 19 |
| 1991 | 1,978 | 162 | ▲ 86 |
| 1990 | 1,100 | 248 | ▲ 24 |
| 1989 | 909 | 272 | ▼ 12 |
| 1988 | 904 | 260 | ▼ 26 |
| 1987 | 1,003 | 234 | ▼ 14 |
| 1986 | 1,070 | 220 | ▼ 16 |
| 1985 | 1,185 | 204 | ▼ 2 |
| 1984 | 1,163 | 202 | ▲ 7 |
| 1983 | 1,112 | 209 | ▲ 57 |
| 1982 | 806 | 266 | ▲ 218 |
| 1981 | 299 | 484 | ▲ 32 |
| 1980 | 271 | 516 | ▲ 162 |
| 1979 | 158 | 678 | ▲ 8 |
| 1978 | 149 | 686 | ▼ 11 |
| 1977 | 157 | 675 | ▲ 18 |
| 1976 | 144 | 693 | ▼ 40 |
| 1975 | 158 | 653 | ▼ 61 |
| 1974 | 181 | 592 | ▲ 31 |
| 1973 | 159 | 623 | ▲ 55 |
| 1972 | 140 | 678 | ▲ 133 |
| 1971 | 99 | 811 | ▲ 1 |
| 1970 | 99 | 812 | ▲ 29 |
| 1969 | 83 | 841 | ▲ 28 |
| 1968 | 69 | 869 | ▲ 123 |
| 1967 | 53 | 992 | ▲ 35 |
| 1966 | 50 | 1,027 | ▼ 137 |
| 1965 | 68 | 890 | ▲ 62 |
| 1964 | 64 | 952 | ▼ 5 |
| 1963 | 63 | 947 | ▼ 115 |
| 1962 | 83 | 832 | ▼ 56 |
| 1961 | 98 | 776 | ▲ 116 |
| 1960 | 72 | 892 | ▲ 27 |
| 1959 | 69 | 919 | ▼ 30 |
| 1958 | 72 | 889 | ▼ 5 |
| 1957 | 73 | 884 | ▲ 70 |
| 1956 | 61 | 954 | ▼ 5 |
| 1955 | 62 | 949 | ▼ 20 |
| 1954 | 64 | 929 | ▲ 241 |
| 1953 | 40 | 1,170 | ▼ 59 |
| 1952 | 43 | 1,111 | ▼ 119 |
| 1951 | 50 | 992 | ▲ 372 |
| 1950 | 28 | 1,364 | ▼ 42 |
| 1949 | 30 | 1,322 | ▼ 195 |
| 1948 | 40 | 1,127 | ▲ 125 |
| 1947 | 34 | 1,252 | ▲ 440 |
| 1946 | 18 | 1,692 | ▲ 882 |
| 1945 | 8 | 2,574 | ▼ 494 |
| 1944 | 12 | 2,080 | ▼ 594 |
| 1943 | 22 | 1,486 | ▼ 170 |
| 1942 | 28 | 1,316 | ▲ 130 |
| 1941 | 22 | 1,446 | ▲ 876 |
| 1940 | 10 | 2,322 | ▲ 507 |
| 1939 | 7 | 2,829 | ▼ 745 |
| 1938 | 12 | 2,084 | ▲ 4 |
| 1937 | 12 | 2,088 | ▼ 216 |
| 1936 | 14 | 1,872 | ▲ 657 |
| 1935 | 9 | 2,529 | ▼ 871 |
| 1934 | 18 | 1,658 | ▲ 710 |
| 1933 | 10 | 2,368 | ▼ 652 |
| 1932 | 18 | 1,716 | ▲ 127 |
| 1931 | 16 | 1,843 | ▲ 601 |
| 1930 | 11 | 2,444 | ▼ 245 |
| 1929 | 13 | 2,199 | ▼ 151 |
| 1928 | 15 | 2,048 | ▲ 655 |
| 1927 | 10 | 2,703 | ▼ 722 |
| 1926 | 16 | 1,981 | ▼ 111 |
| 1925 | 18 | 1,870 | ▲ 173 |
| 1924 | 16 | 2,043 | ▼ 347 |
| 1923 | 21 | 1,696 | ▲ 187 |
| 1922 | 18 | 1,883 | ▼ 54 |
| 1921 | 19 | 1,829 | ▲ 936 |
| 1920 | 10 | 2,765 | ▼ 1,189 |
| 1919 | 22 | 1,576 | ▲ 329 |
| 1918 | 17 | 1,905 | ▼ 212 |
| 1917 | 19 | 1,693 | ▼ 319 |
| 1916 | 25 | 1,374 | ▼ 68 |
| 1915 | 26 | 1,306 | ▼ 85 |
| 1914 | 23 | 1,221 | ▼ 48 |
| 1913 | 19 | 1,173 | ▼ 238 |
| 1912 | 23 | 935 | ▲ 182 |
| 1911 | 10 | 1,117 | ▲ 304 |
| 1910 | 6 | 1,421 | ▲ 19 |
| 1909 | 5 | 1,440 | back (not recorded in 1908) |
| 1907 | 5 | 1,345 | back (not recorded in 1901–1906) |
| 1900 | 6 | 1,162 | ▼ 111 |
| 1899 | 5 | 1,051 | back (not recorded in 1887–1898) |
| 1886 | 6 | 845 | new |
Cole by state
Cole ranks #66 in New Hampshire (2025).
Rank by state 46 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 66 | 22 |
| Massachusetts | 67 | 95 |
| Rhode Island | 71 | 14 |
| Connecticut | 90 | 39 |
| New Jersey | 104 | 93 |
| Pennsylvania | 105 | 121 |
| Michigan | 108 | 88 |
| New York | 111 | 161 |
| Maine | 126 | 10 |
| Maryland | 128 | 46 |
| Utah | 136 | 38 |
| South Dakota | 145 | 9 |
| Virginia | 148 | 61 |
| Louisiana | 154 | 33 |
| Illinois | 155 | 76 |
| Missouri | 156 | 45 |
| Montana | 159 | 8 |
| Colorado | 161 | 44 |
| West Virginia | 168 | 11 |
| Delaware | 168 | 6 |
| District of Columbia | 168 | 5 |
| Ohio | 170 | 78 |
| Kentucky | 173 | 32 |
| Wisconsin | 186 | 33 |
| Iowa | 191 | 21 |
| Kansas | 196 | 20 |
| Arkansas | 199 | 18 |
| Minnesota | 208 | 31 |
| Florida | 209 | 103 |
| New Mexico | 213 | 9 |
| Idaho | 214 | 12 |
| Hawaii | 214 | 5 |
| Mississippi | 215 | 14 |
| Washington | 220 | 36 |
| North Carolina | 222 | 56 |
| Nebraska | 228 | 11 |
| Oregon | 230 | 18 |
| Nevada | 230 | 13 |
| Arizona | 232 | 35 |
| Oklahoma | 252 | 19 |
| Indiana | 254 | 32 |
| California | 259 | 144 |
| Tennessee | 259 | 34 |
| South Carolina | 265 | 21 |
| Texas | 286 | 135 |
| Alabama | 375 | 14 |
| Georgia | 428 | 26 |
Notable people named Cole
- Cole Beasley is an American NFL wide receiver who played at SMU, made the Cowboys as a 2012 undrafted free agent, later spent three seasons with the Bills and a stint with the Buccaneers, retired in 2022, then returned to Buffalo.
- Cole Sprouse is an American actor best known for playing Cody Martin on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Jughead Jones on Riverdale, having started out acting with his twin Dylan in Big Daddy.
- Cole Younger — Thomas Coleman Younger was a Confederate guerrilla during the Civil War and later an outlaw leader with the James-Younger Gang alongside his brothers Jim, John and Bob.
- Cole Swindell — Colden Rainey Swindell is an American country singer-songwriter who has written for stars like Luke Bryan and scored eight number one country hits among 13 singles, including Chillin It, You Should Be Here, Flatliner, Never Say Never, and She Had Me At Heads Carolina.
- Cole Bennett is an American music video director and record executive who founded Lyrical Lemonade, created standout videos for artists like Juice Wrld and Eminem, and released the album All Is Yellow in 2024.
- Cole Kenneth Hauser is a well-known American actor with notable roles in films such as Higher Learning, Good Will Hunting, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Olympus Has Fallen.