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

Kole, 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 Kole surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kole in America

Kole is the 19602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kole surname appeared 1,376 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kole.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kole 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 Kole

The surname KOLE originated from the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas around Hamburg and Lower Saxony. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Low German word "kole," which meant a charcoal burner or someone who worked with charcoal. This occupation was prevalent in the forested regions of northern Germany during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname KOLE can be traced back to the 13th century in various documents and records from the region. One of the earliest mentions is found in the Hamburgisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from Hamburg, dated to around 1280, where a certain "Johannes Kole" is mentioned as a resident of the city.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname KOLE appeared in various records across northern Germany, including the Lüneburg Ratslineages, which documented the lineages of prominent families in the city of Lüneburg. One notable individual from this period was Hans Kole, a merchant and council member in Lüneburg, who lived around 1450.

In the 16th century, the name KOLE began to spread beyond northern Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in other parts of the Holy Roman Empire. One example is Johann Kole, a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, who lived from 1499 to 1572.

As the surname KOLE spread across Europe, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Kohle, Kohl, and Kohlmeier, reflecting regional linguistic differences. These variations often carried the same meaning, referring to the occupation of charcoal burning or coal mining.

Other notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname KOLE include:

1. Johann Kole (1637-1710), a German composer and organist from Wolfenbüttel.
2. Friedrich Kole (1768-1835), a German writer and philosopher from Göttingen.
3. Wilhelm Kole (1825-1897), a German architect and urban planner responsible for the design of several public buildings in Berlin.
4. Marie Kole (1879-1956), a German-Dutch actress and opera singer who performed in the Netherlands and Germany.
5. Helmut Kole (1899-1984), a German painter and graphic artist known for his expressionist works.

While the surname KOLE has its roots in northern Germany and the occupation of charcoal burning, it has since spread across various regions and countries, with individuals bearing this surname making contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kole

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

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 Kole 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 Kole 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 Kole was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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