Cole: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Greek : Victorious people
English: Swarthy, black coal

What does Cole mean and stand for?

The name Cole is of Greek origin and means "victorious people." It is also of English origin and means "swarthy, black coal." It is from a surname that as derived from the Old English name Cola.

Syllables: 1

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

English : from a Middle English pet form of Nicholas.
English : from a Middle English personal name derived from the Old English byname Cola (from col ‘(char)coal’, presumably denoting someone of swarthy appearance), or the Old Norse cognate Koli.
Scottish and Irish : when not of English origin, this is a reduced and altered form of McCool.
In some cases, particularly in New England, Cole is a translation of the French surname Charbonneau.
Probably an Americanized spelling of German Kohl.
An Irish family by the name of Cole was established in Fermanagh by Sir William Cole (1576–1653). He was the first Provost of Enniskillen, and his descendants became earls of Enniskillen. The family is thought to have originated in Devon or Cornwall.

Famous people with this last name

Natalie Cole

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Cole recently begun to decline in popularity after holding a spot in the top 100 from 2000 to 2011. Despite the decline, Cole remains in the top 150.

However, it is the 32nd most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Cole was at its peak popularity in December 2016.

Cole, which is quite popular in Scotland, often invokes the image of songwriter Cole Porter. Other notable namesakes include Cole Sprouse, Cole Kenneth Hauser, singer Cole Swindell, and the outlaw Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger. Cole has also been a popular choice for fictional characters, appearing in nursery rhyme "Old King Cole" (based on a real British king), The Sixth Sense, 24, Charmed, Scrubs, and Friends with Kids.