Cole Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Cole Name Meaning: Derived from the Old English "col" meaning "coal".

The name \"Cole\" was originally a nickname for someone who was dark-skinned or \"coal-black\". It is an English spelling of the German \"Kohl\".

Discover how your Cole ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Cole Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Cole family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 3,136
Agricultural Labourer 1,037
Labourer 320
House Servant 281
Servant 195
Dress Maker 188
Laundress 160
Carpenter 134
General Servant 118
Carter 116
House Keeper 97
Shoe Maker 85
Coal Miner 85
Cook 76
House Maid 72
Blacksmith 72
Farm Labourer 66
Butcher 58
Domestic Servant 55
Gardener 55
Tailor 55
Farmer 52
Groom 47
Nurse 45
Farmer's Son 43

Cole Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Cole 100% 200,786
2 Cale 75% 6,930
3 Coole 80% 6,684
4 Clee 50% 4,433
5 Cool 50% 2,112
6 Coll 75% 1,939
7 Coal 50% 1,427
8 Coil 50% 604
9 Cail 25% 572
10 Cooil 40% 523
11 Coale 80% 498
12 Col 75% 449
13 Coul 50% 409
14 Cule 75% 372
15 Caul 25% 343
16 Clue 50% 316
17 Caile 60% 268
18 Colee 80% 255
19 Coel 50% 240
20 Caloe 60% 237
21 Coule 80% 228
22 Colle 80% 204
23 Oclee 40% 197
24 Colea 80% 156
25 Ceal 25% 130
26 Coile 80% 129
27 Cola 75% 123
28 Ecle 50% 122
29 Kohl 25% 104

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The surname Cole is the most popular version of all its varients

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