Find out how popular the last name Cole is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cole.

Cole, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cole surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cole in America

Cole is the 126th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cole surname appeared 195,289 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 66 people would have the surname Cole.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cole to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cole

The surname COLE has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "col," which means soot or charcoal, and likely referred to someone who worked with charcoal or lived near a charcoal burner's hut.

The name COLE is found in several early English records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cole" and "Cole." This suggests that the name was well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname COLE was William Cole, born around 1170 in Oxfordshire, England. He is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1195.

In the 13th century, the name COLE appeared in various forms, such as "Colle," "Coll," and "Coles." This reflects the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. One notable figure from this period was Henry Cole, born around 1240 in Suffolk, who is recorded in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1275.

The COLE surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Cole Green in Hertfordshire and Cole Orton in Leicestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname COLE who lived or owned land in those areas.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname COLE emerged. Sir Francis Cole (1572-1647) was a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1638. Thomas Cole (1627-1697) was an English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Old Apostolic Constitutions."

In the 18th century, William Cole (1714-1782) was an English antiquarian and clergyman who compiled extensive records of churches and monuments in Cambridgeshire and other counties. Another notable figure was Benjamin Cole (1695-1766), an English botanist and author of "The Art of Simpling" (1730).

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the surname COLE, including Sir Henry Cole (1808-1882), an English civil servant and inventor who played a crucial role in organizing the Great Exhibition of 1851. Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was a renowned American painter, founder of the Hudson River School of landscape painting.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cole

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cole.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cole was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cole has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cole was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cole, please contact us.

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