The Cole surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 195,289 people carried this name — #126 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,510 people counted. That is up 4% from 187,793 in 2000.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 37 births for the Cole name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. One of them was indexed under another spelling of the name.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 363 people named Cole.
63 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 28 départements, most often Seine-Maritime.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 297 people named Cole live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in East Flanders.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
61 people named Cole live in Switzerland.
They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 43 people named Cole live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Mendoza.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
40 people named Cole have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 92 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 5 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
171 people named Cole are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Cole in American newspapers,
1891–1918.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,268,323 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Cole,
with a public archive behind them.
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John Copeland Cole d. 1987 · politician
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Echol Cole d. 1968 · garbage collector
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Abraham Cole d. 1890 · politician
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Samuel Cole d. 1885 · politician
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William Cole d. 1812 · writer
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William Cole d. 1812 · writer
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Cole.
- Colaianni 433 · U.S. census
- Colak 195 · U.S. census
- Colangelo 3,307 · U.S. census
- Colantonio 653 · U.S. census
- Colas 1,323 · U.S. census
- Colbert 22,940 · U.S. census
- Colella 4,150 · U.S. census
- Coleman 219,070 · U.S. census
- Coletta 1,676 · U.S. census
- Colette 173 · U.S. census
- Coletti 2,329 · U.S. census
- Coley 15,671 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Cole is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.