Cole
Boy name · #182 in 2025 · Distinctive
Cole ranks #182 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 2,003 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #115, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 899 boys born in 2025 was named Cole.
The 139-year story
Cole first appears in the Social Security records in 1886, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2002, when 6,038 boys were named Cole — good for #69 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Cole per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cole against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cole in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cole is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Cole is most common
Geography matters for names, and Cole is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Cole is most common in NH (4.9 per 1,000), RI (4.5 per 1,000), MA (3.5 per 1,000), CT (3 per 1,000), ME (2.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Cole is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Cole
Statistically, parents drawn to Cole tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cade, Chase, Connor, Bryce, and Ivan.
CadeChaseConnorBryceIvanDanteRileyEvan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cole | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,003 | #182 |
| 2024 | 2,224 | #162 |
| 2023 | 2,364 | #155 |
| 2022 | 2,626 | #144 |
| 2021 | 2,835 | #132 |
| 2020 | 2,771 | #133 |
| 2019 | 3,093 | #123 |
| 2018 | 3,348 | #118 |
| 2017 | 3,468 | #116 |
| 2016 | 3,604 | #110 |
| 2015 | 3,499 | #115 |
| 2014 | 3,426 | #116 |
| 2013 | 3,454 | #114 |
| 2012 | 3,779 | #102 |
| 2011 | 4,140 | #94 |
| 2010 | 4,590 | #90 |
| 2009 | 5,278 | #82 |
| 2008 | 5,389 | #85 |
| 2007 | 5,703 | #84 |
| 2006 | 5,640 | #84 |
| 2005 | 5,587 | #79 |
| 2004 | 5,648 | #75 |
| 2003 | 5,898 | #69 |
| 2002 | 6,038 | #69 |
| 2001 | 5,739 | #74 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cole a popular boy name?
Cole ranked #182 among boys in 2025 with 2,003 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #115.
When was the name Cole most popular?
Cole peaked in 2002, when 6,038 American boys received the name (ranked #69 that year). Since 2002 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cole?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 899 newborn American boys was named Cole. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.