2000
#2,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,641
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.06
Uncommon Last name
Coles
Derived from the Old English byname "Cola," referring to someone with a dark complexion or black hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,953 Americans carry the last name Coles. That puts it at #2,531 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,485 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coles surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Coles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,485
Census rank
#2,531
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,912 bearers of the surname Coles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2531st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.1%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coles
The surname Coles has its roots in England, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "cole," which means coal, referring to a person who worked as a coal burner or seller.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Coles can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Coles" and "Colles." This comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England following the Norman Conquest provides valuable insight into the origins and early distribution of the name.
During the 13th century, the name Coles appeared in various records and documents across different regions of England, including Oxfordshire, Surrey, and Warwickshire. It was often associated with specific locations, such as Cole Harbour in Devon and Cole Street in London.
One notable figure bearing the surname Coles was William Coles (1675-1662), an English botanist and author of the influential work "The Art of Simpling," published in 1656. This book was a comprehensive guide to the identification and medicinal uses of plants.
Another prominent individual with the surname Coles was Elisha Coles (1608-1688), an English lexicographer and author of the "Dictionary English-Latin and English-Greek" (1677), which was widely used in schools at the time.
In the 18th century, the surname Coles gained further prominence with the birth of Cowper Phipps Coles (1743-1806), a British naval officer and inventor. He is credited with developing the sliding keel, a groundbreaking design that improved the stability and maneuverability of ships.
Moving into the 19th century, we encounter Abraham Coles (1813-1891), an American naval officer and inventor who designed the revolutionary revolving turret for ironclad warships during the American Civil War.
Another notable figure was Sir Jenkin Coles (1860-1946), a Welsh businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the coal industry in South Wales.
Throughout its history, the surname Coles has undergone various spelling variations, such as Cole, Coale, and Colle, reflecting the fluidity of name spellings in earlier periods. However, the core meaning and association with the coal industry have persisted over time, making it a distinctive and historically significant surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coles
Among Census respondents with the surname Coles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.1%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Coles bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Coles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American46.1% · 6,408
- White42.8% · 5,961
- Two or more races6.1% · 850
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 530
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coles
Coles appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,449
+808 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 4.90
Rank movement Down 74 places
2020
#2,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,912
-537 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 4.65
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,431 | 13,641 | 5.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,505 | 14,449 | 4.90 | +808 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 74 places |
| 2020 | #2,531 | 13,912 | 4.65 | -537 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 26 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Coles surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,505 | #2,531 | -1.0% |
| Count | 14,449 | 13,912 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.90 | 4.65 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coles bearers went from 14,449 to 13,912 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,505 to #2,531.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Coles
FAQ
Coles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coles?
Name Census estimates that about 15,953 living Americans carry the surname Coles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,485 residents.
How common is Coles?
Coles ranks #2,531 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,912 people with the surname Coles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,953), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Coles.
Has Coles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coles went from 14,449 recorded bearers to 13,912. That is a decrease of 537 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,505 to #2,531.
What does the Census say about the background of Coles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.1%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (6.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Coles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.1% (6,408 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (46.1%), White (42.8%), Two or More Races (6.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Coles (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Coles mean?
Derived from the Old English byname "Cola," referring to someone with a dark complexion or black hair. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Coles (4.65 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Coles?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.