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Name

Cole

/KOHL/ MasculineEnglish

Meaning

Cole is a masculine name of English origin meaning “coal-black, charcoal”.

Cole began as a medieval byname from the Old English col, coal, describing someone dark-haired or swarthy, and the nursery rhyme's Old King Cole kept the sound merry. As a crisp single syllable it fits the modern taste for short, confident boys' names.

Held a place in the US boys' top 200 for most of the past three decades.

Popularity in the United States

Boys

Ranked #182 in 2025 · peak #69 in 2003

Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.

At a glance

Origin
English
Gender
Masculine
Pronounced
/KOHL/
Themes
Dark

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Questions

  • Cole is a masculine name of English origin meaning “coal-black, charcoal”. Cole began as a medieval byname from the Old English col, coal, describing someone dark-haired or swarthy, and the nursery rhyme's Old King Cole kept the sound merry.

  • Cole is traditionally a masculine (boy) name. Held a place in the US boys' top 200 for most of the past three decades.

  • The name Cole comes from English. Cole began as a medieval byname from the Old English col, coal, describing someone dark-haired or swarthy, and the nursery rhyme's Old King Cole kept the sound merry. As a crisp single syllable it fits the modern taste for short, confident boys' names.

  • Cole is pronounced KOHL.

More names that mean dark

Names that share this meaning.

  1. Adham MasculineArabic“black”
  2. Anubis MasculineEgyptian“the jackal-headed god of embalming”
  3. Blake UnisexEnglish“black, or pale”
  4. Ciara FeminineIrish“dark, black-haired”
  5. Donovan MasculineIrish“descendant of the dark one”
  6. Douglas MasculineScottish Gaelic“dark stream”