How to say it
COLE
/koʊl/
Masculine
Cole
Charcoal-dark, or short for Nicholas
What it means
Two competing roots: Old English col ('charcoal' or 'dark, swarthy') as a descriptive surname, or a medieval English short for Nicholas. The nursery rhyme's Old King Cole is the deepest cultural anchor.
Cole has two English roots that converged. The Old English col meant 'charcoal' or 'dark, swarthy,' giving descriptive surnames. The medieval short form of Nicholas (via Nicholas → Colin → Cole) gave another path. The nursery rhyme 'Old King Cole was a merry old soul' first appeared in 1709 and references a legendary British king Cole, possibly Coel Hen of 4th-century-CE northern Britain. Cole Porter (1891-1964) is the dominant 20th-century American anchor through his songs (Anything Goes, Night and Day, Begin the Beguine). As a first name Cole surged in the US in the 1990s and is now solidly top-200. Single syllable, no shorter form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #69 in 2002, currently #182 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Cole Porter (the Great American Songbook composer) is the deepest cultural anchor; the nursery rhyme Old King Cole is the older one.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Cole Porter American songwriter, Anything Goes and Night and Day
- Old King Cole Legendary king of British folklore, the nursery rhyme since 1709
Spelling variants
- Kole
- Coleman
Names with the same feeling
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