Explore the Family Name Cole
The meaning of Cole
1. English: usually from the Middle English and Old French personal name Col(e), Coll(e), Coul(e), a pet form of Nicol (see Nichol and Nicholas), a common personal name from the mid-13th century onward. English families with this name migrated to Scotland and to Ulster (especially Fermanagh). 2. English: occasionally perhaps from a different (early) Middle English personal name Col, of native English or Scandinavian origin. Old English Cola was originally a nickname from Old English col ‘coal’ in the sense ‘coal-black (of hair), swarthy’ and is the probable source of most of the examples in Domesday Book. In the northern and eastern counties of England settled by Vikings in the 10th and 11th centuries, alternative sources are Old Norse Kolr and Koli (either from a nickname ‘the swarthy one’ or a short form of names in Kol-), and Old Norse Kollr (from a nickname, perhaps ‘the bald one’). 3. English: nickname for someone with swarthy skin or black hair, from Middle English col, coul(e) ‘charcoal, coal’ (Old English col). 4. Scottish and Irish: when not of English origin, this is a shortened and altered form of McCool. 5. French (northern, mainly Seine-Maritime): from a short form of the personal name Nicolas (see Nicholas). Compare 1 above and Colle. 6. Americanized form of German Kohl. 7. Americanized form of Dutch Kool. 8. In some cases particularly in New England, Americanized form (translation into English; compare 3 above) of French Charbonneau. History: An Irish family by the name of Cole was established in Fermanagh by Sir William Cole (1576–1653). He was the first Provost of Enniskillen, and his descendants became earls of Enniskillen. The family is thought to have originated in Devon or Cornwall.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cole in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cole has slightly declined between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 116 in the United States, but it dropped to rank 126 in 2010, marking a change of -8.62. However, the total count of people with the surname Cole increased by 3.99 percent, from 187,793 in 2000 to 195,289 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also saw a decrease from 69.61 in 2000 to 66.2 in 2010, which is a drop of -4.9.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #116 | #126 | -8.62% |
| Count | 187,793 | 195,289 | 3.99% |
| Proportion per 100k | 69.61 | 66.2 | -4.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cole
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Cole shows some changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, those who identify with two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native have all increased during this period. Specifically, the Hispanic population experienced the highest growth rate at 62.84 percent, followed by those identifying as two or more races at 30.43 percent. However, the percentage of White individuals with the surname Cole decreased by -2.91, from 77.59 in 2000 to 75.33 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.59% | 75.33% | -2.91% |
| Black | 18.2% | 18.89% | 3.79% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.41% | 62.84% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 2.1% | 30.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.68% | 0.72% | 5.88% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.55% | 27.91% |
Cole ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Cole is British & Irish, which comprises 52.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.6%) and Eastern European (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.0% |
| French & German | 23.6% |
| Eastern European | 3.8% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Cole
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Cole have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.10% |
What Cole haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Cole is E-M183, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-M183 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-DF98 and R-Z8, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Taylor, Wilson, Hill, Brown, Johnson, White, Cook, Thompson, Young.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cole surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Cole have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Cole" Surname 42.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Cole" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cole" Surname 23.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Cole" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cole?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Cole are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition