Total births
154,093
Boys' name · since 1886
Cole
Since 1886, U.S. Social Security records show 154,093 babies named Cole, peaking in 2002. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #163
- among boys today
- 154,093
- born since 1886
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
154,093 babies have been named Cole since 1886, making it today's #163 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cole has been recorded 154,093 times among boys since 1886, currently ranked #163 nationally and more common than 99% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 2025.
- #163 among boys today
- 154,093 born since 1886
- 2000s peak decade
- 99% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cole is currently the #163 boys' name in America, more common than 99% of boys - 154,093 born since 1886, peaking in the 2000s.
- #163
- among boys today
- 154,093
- born since 1886
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Cole vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#163
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Cole was born in this single decade.
2002
Single peak year
6,038 babies were named Cole in 2002 - its busiest year on record.
How Cole compares
154,093 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cole's all-time total is 420x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cole | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 154,093 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,038 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cole's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cole splits its recorded history at 1965: 99% of all births land in the more recent half, 1% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1899 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2002 peak of 6,038 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cole at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2002
Current rank
#163
Active since
1886
Cole popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (2002)
- 6,038
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Cole popularity over time - girls
553 total births recorded since 1980 (Cole as girls' name)
Cole by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Cole's strongest decade.
56,846 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Cole births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 16
1900s
16 births
- 1910s 190
1910s
190 births
- 1920s 156
1920s
156 births
- 1930s 127
1930s
127 births
- 1940s 224
1940s
224 births
- 1950s 562
1950s
562 births
- 1960s 703
1960s
703 births
- 1970s 1,444
1970s
1,444 births
- 1980s 8,722
1980s
8,722 births
- 1990s
1990s
33,868 births
- 2000s
2000s
56,846 births
- 2010s
2010s
36,401 births
- 2020s 14,823
2020s
14,823 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 56,846 births (37% of all-time use).
How Cole compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cole's total volume
Cole vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cole by state
Where Cole concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 14,093 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 9,824 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 8,263 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 7,120 | 4.6% |
| #5 | New York | | 6,573 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 6,341 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5,934 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 5,385 | 3.5% |
California share of Cole's total US births 9.1%
Even split
14,093 of 154,093 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Cole appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cole? ▼
154,093 babies have been named Cole since 1886. It currently ranks #163 among boys. The peak year was 2002 with 6,038 births.
When was Cole most popular? ▼
Cole was most popular in the 2000s decade with 56,846 total births. The single peak year was 2002.
Where is Cole most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cole are California (14,093 births), Texas (9,824 births), Pennsylvania (8,263 births).
How long has the name Cole been used? ▼
Records for Cole go back to 1886, giving 140 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cole? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Colton, Colin, Collin, Colby, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cole's data
- Cole's decade-level peak was the 2000s (56,846 total births); usage has since declined to 14,823 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Coles (14,093 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cole
Nearby Names Like Cole
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cole
Colton Boy
#98 151,965 births
Colin Boy
#335 133,706 births
Collin Boy
#490 81,437 births
Colby Boy
#583 53,971 births
Colt Boy
#277 27,869 births
Compare Cole side by side: Cole vs Colton Cole vs Colin Cole vs Collin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cole
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1886–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cole: #163 Boys' Name - 154,093 Births, Peak 2002." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cole. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cole draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.