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 5,258
Agricultural Labourer 750
Domestic Servant 324
Labourer 319
Dress Maker 287
General Labourer 281
General Servant 230
Laundress 193
Farm Labourer 178
Coal Miner 171
Carpenter 167
General Servant Domestic 121
Annuitant 105
No Occupation 96
Farmers Son 89
Charwoman 85
Gardener 81
Farm Servant Indoor 78
House Keeper 72
Tailoress 67
Tailor 65
Shoe Maker 61
Cook 60
Butcher 58
Joiner 55

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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