Cole
Meaningcoal-black · Old English
- US rank
- #182
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #69 in 2003
2,003 babies were named Cole in the US in 2025. It has dropped 49 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1980–2025
US births per million boys, 1886–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Cole you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Cole
Cole Palmer
English footballer (born 2002)
Choose Cole and your child shares a first name with Cole Palmer, an English footballer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Cole, like who?” Cole Palmer's Wikipedia article is available in 64 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Cole Palmer on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: The White House, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 853 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Cole, 2,003 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Cole would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCole first shows up in US birth records in 1886, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 139 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2003, when it reached #69.
- Then vs nowCole was 2.6× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 331 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 853.
- TrendCole has slipped 49 places over the last five years and now sits at #182. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedCole is most popular in New Hampshire, where it ranks #66, followed by Massachusetts (#67) and Rhode Island (#71). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Old English, Cole means “coal-black”.
About the name Cole
Cole is a boy name of Irish origin meaning “coal-black”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-ole”. US birth records list Cole for boys from 1886 to 2025, in 121 of those 140 years. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked #69 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #182, with 2,003 babies.
Origin:Irish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.4 | 225,225 girls |
| 1990s | 7.1 | 140,449 girls |
| 2000s | 9.0 | 111,111 girls |
| 2010s | 7.2 | 138,696 girls |
| 2020s | 5.8 | 173,913 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 14 | 73,801 boys |
| 1890s | 4.7 | 212,314 boys |
| 1900s | 10 | 95,694 boys |
| 1910s | 32 | 31,319 boys |
| 1920s | 14 | 70,671 boys |
| 1930s | 12 | 82,919 boys |
| 1940s | 15 | 68,353 boys |
| 1950s | 27 | 36,377 boys |
| 1960s | 36 | 27,457 boys |
| 1970s | 88 | 11,315 boys |
| 1980s | 471 | 2,122 boys |
| 1990s | 1,757 | 569 boys |
| 2000s | 2,850 | 351 boys |
| 2010s | 1,934 | 517 boys |
| 2020s | 1,429 | 700 boys |
Other spellings of Cole
More Irish boy names
- Boy name: Liam · resolute protector
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
- Unisex name: Ryan · little king
- Boy name: Dominic · of the Lord
Questions about the name Cole
What does the name Cole mean?
Cole means “coal-black” in Old English.
What is the origin of the name Cole?
Cole has Irish roots in our records. Other Irish names include Liam, Owen, Logan.
Is Cole a boy or girl name?
Cole is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Cole?
Cole ranked #182 for US boys in 2025, given to 2,003 babies. Its best year was 2003 (#69).