How common is the surname Cole?

195,289 people in the United States had the surname Cole in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 1,581 Americans. It ranked 126th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Cole?

Natalie Cole, American singer (1950–2015), followed by J. Cole.

Where is the surname Cole most common?

Wikidata records people named Cole in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom and 3 other countries.

Is the surname Cole getting more or less common?

More common. 187,793 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 195,289 in 2010, up 4.0%.

Is Cole also a first name?

Yes. Cole is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Cole

A patronymic surname, carried by 195,289 people in the United States.

Pronounced /koʊl/ 1 syllable Soundex C400 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Cole is more common than 99.9% of them.

Origin

The surname is variously from: # A nickname from Old English col (“coal, coal-black”), # A patronymic from Nicholas (see also Coles, Colson, Colle). # A variation of Cowell (which itself has several origins). # As an Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, variant of McCool. # As a German surname, Americanized from Kohl. # As a Dutch surname, Americanized from Kool. # As a French surname, Americanized/calqued from Charbonneau, influenced by the first sense.

Cole is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 195,289 people named Cole in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 1,581 Americans. That is up 4.0% since 2000, when the Census counted 187,793.

#126

rank among US surnames

195,289

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+4%

change since 2000 (was #116)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#117	Patterson	205,423	1,503
#118	Alexander	204,621	1,509
#119	Hamilton	201,746	1,530
#120	Graham	201,159	1,535
#121	Reynolds	200,247	1,542
#122	Griffin	198,406	1,556
#123	Wallace	197,276	1,565

Who is named Cole

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

75% of people named Cole identified as white (not Hispanic), 19% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.4% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 75%
Black (not Hispanic) 19%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.4%
Two or more races 2.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Coles

57 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Natalie Cole
American singer (1950–2015)
J. Cole
American rapper and record producer (born 1985)
Thomas Cole
19th-century American painter (1801-1848)
Keyshia Cole
American R&B singer, born 1981
Gary Cole
American actor (born 1956)
Paula Cole
American singer, born 1968
Joe Cole
British actor (born 1988)
Christina Cole
British actress, born 1982
Finn Cole
British actor, born 1995
Norris Cole
American basketball player (born 1988)
Michael Cole
American wrestling commentator and journalist (born 1966)
Taylor Cole
American actress, born 1984

Notable Coles come mostly from the United States (43), Australia (6) and the United Kingdom (4).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Cole

Cole has the Soundex code C400, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code C400.

Questions

Where does the surname Cole come from?: The surname is variously from: # A nickname from Old English col (“coal, coal-black”), # A patronymic from Nicholas (see also Coles, Colson, Colle). # A variation of Cowell (which itself has several origins). # As an Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, variant of McCool. # As a German surname,…
How common is the surname Cole?: 195,289 people in the United States had the surname Cole in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 1,581 Americans. It ranked 126th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Cole?: In the 2010 Census, 75% of people named Cole identified as white (not Hispanic), and 19% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Cole?: Natalie Cole, American singer (1950–2015), followed by J. Cole.
Where is the surname Cole most common?: Wikidata records people named Cole in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom and 3 other countries.
How do you pronounce Cole?: Cole is /koʊl/, one syllable.
What type of surname is Cole?: Cole is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Cole getting more or less common?: More common. 187,793 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 195,289 in 2010, up 4.0%.
Is Cole also a first name?: Yes. Cole is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.