NameCensus.

UK surname

Cole

An English occupational surname referring to someone who sold or transported coal or charcoal.

In the 1881 census there were 27,185 people recorded with the Cole surname, ranking it #118 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 38,090, ranked #136, down from #118 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Torridge and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cole is 39,255 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.1%.

1881 census count

27,185

Ranked #118

Modern count

38,090

2016, ranked #136

Peak year

1999

39,255 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cole had 27,185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #118 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 38,090 in 2016, ranked #136.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 37,123 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cole surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cole surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cole surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cole over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 18,080 #120
1861 historical 18,707 #116
1881 historical 27,185 #118
1891 historical 29,479 #115
1901 historical 34,016 #121
1911 historical 37,123 #102
1997 modern 37,883 #123
1998 modern 38,965 #126
1999 modern 39,255 #126
2000 modern 38,934 #127
2001 modern 38,042 #128
2002 modern 39,084 #128
2003 modern 38,171 #128
2004 modern 38,192 #127
2005 modern 37,347 #132
2006 modern 37,166 #133
2007 modern 37,407 #134
2008 modern 37,454 #135
2009 modern 38,315 #136
2010 modern 39,074 #136
2011 modern 38,581 #134
2012 modern 37,881 #135
2013 modern 38,634 #135
2014 modern 38,801 #135
2015 modern 38,294 #135
2016 modern 38,090 #136

Geography

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Where Coles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Torridge and Herefordshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 014 Pembrokeshire
2 Torridge 004 Torridge
3 Pembrokeshire 011 Pembrokeshire
4 Pembrokeshire 007 Pembrokeshire
5 Herefordshire 023 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cole

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cole surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cole

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cole, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cole surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cole household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cole is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cole is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cole falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cole is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cole, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cole

The surname COLE has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "col," which means soot or charcoal, and likely referred to someone who worked with charcoal or lived near a charcoal burner's hut.

The name COLE is found in several early English records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cole" and "Cole." This suggests that the name was well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname COLE was William Cole, born around 1170 in Oxfordshire, England. He is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1195.

In the 13th century, the name COLE appeared in various forms, such as "Colle," "Coll," and "Coles." This reflects the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. One notable figure from this period was Henry Cole, born around 1240 in Suffolk, who is recorded in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1275.

The COLE surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Cole Green in Hertfordshire and Cole Orton in Leicestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname COLE who lived or owned land in those areas.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname COLE emerged. Sir Francis Cole (1572-1647) was a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1638. Thomas Cole (1627-1697) was an English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Old Apostolic Constitutions."

In the 18th century, William Cole (1714-1782) was an English antiquarian and clergyman who compiled extensive records of churches and monuments in Cambridgeshire and other counties. Another notable figure was Benjamin Cole (1695-1766), an English botanist and author of "The Art of Simpling" (1730).

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the surname COLE, including Sir Henry Cole (1808-1882), an English civil servant and inventor who played a crucial role in organizing the Great Exhibition of 1851. Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was a renowned American painter, founder of the Hudson River School of landscape painting.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cole families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cole surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 4,640 Coles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.74x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 4,640 1.74x
Surrey 2,183 1.68x
Devon 2,103 3.80x
Gloucestershire 1,442 2.76x
Kent 1,343 1.48x
Hampshire 1,340 2.46x
Essex 1,194 2.27x
Yorkshire 1,112 0.42x
Lancashire 919 0.29x
Worcestershire 776 2.23x
Staffordshire 702 0.78x
Suffolk 611 1.88x
Warwickshire 590 0.88x
Wiltshire 570 2.42x
Somerset 562 1.31x
Lincolnshire 542 1.27x
Sussex 514 1.15x
Glamorgan 501 1.08x
Norfolk 498 1.22x
Cambridgeshire 492 2.92x
Pembrokeshire 456 5.39x
Durham 445 0.56x
Dorset 389 2.23x
Cornwall 324 1.08x
Northamptonshire 313 1.25x
Herefordshire 305 2.80x
Bedfordshire 276 2.00x
Monmouthshire 229 1.19x
Berkshire 182 0.91x
Northumberland 172 0.43x
Cheshire 158 0.27x
Hertfordshire 133 0.73x
Nottinghamshire 110 0.31x
Leicestershire 107 0.36x
Derbyshire 95 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 94 1.78x
Rutland 85 4.35x
Lanarkshire 73 0.08x
Oxfordshire 70 0.43x
Shropshire 68 0.30x
Cumberland 57 0.25x
Royal Navy 57 1.80x
Buckinghamshire 53 0.33x
Carmarthenshire 47 0.42x
Channel Islands 47 0.60x
Ayrshire 37 0.19x
Renfrewshire 34 0.16x
Westmorland 26 0.44x
Kirkcudbrightshire 24 0.62x
Cardiganshire 20 0.31x
Flintshire 19 0.27x
Denbighshire 17 0.17x
Midlothian 16 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 14 0.13x
Radnorshire 13 0.61x
Brecknockshire 10 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.13x
Fife 9 0.06x
Anglesey 6 0.13x
East Lothian 5 0.14x
Perthshire 5 0.04x
Ross-shire 5 0.07x
Inverness-shire 4 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.07x
Roxburghshire 4 0.08x
Selkirkshire 4 0.17x
Argyllshire 3 0.04x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.01x
Angus 2 0.01x
Isle of Man 2 0.04x
Caithness 1 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.02x
Merionethshire 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.01x
West Lothian 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 415 Coles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.61x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 415 1.61x
Hackney London 325 2.18x
Bethnal Green London 323 2.79x
Camberwell 313 1.84x
Lambeth 292 1.26x
Kensington London 289 1.95x
St Pancras London 283 1.32x
Mile End Old Town London 230 4.06x
St Marylebone London 230 1.62x
Portsea 218 2.04x
Aston 200 1.08x
Birmingham 195 0.87x
Battersea 187 1.91x
Newington 182 1.85x
Plymouth St Andrew 181 4.24x
Chelsea London 176 2.19x
Paddington London 171 1.75x
West Ham 163 1.41x
Dudley 159 3.76x
Shoreditch London 158 1.37x
Rowley Regis 144 5.75x
Brighton 136 1.50x
Bermondsey 133 1.68x
Limehouse London 133 4.55x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 131 2.67x
Southampton St Mary 120 3.50x
St George Hanover Square 117 2.50x
Croydon 116 1.61x
Poplar London 113 2.25x
Hammersmith London 106 1.62x
Bow London 103 3.04x
Deptford St Paul 101 1.44x
Plymouth Charles The 97 3.97x
West Bromwich 96 1.87x
Bromley London 95 1.62x
Stoke Damerel 93 2.40x
Pembroke St Mary 92 8.45x
Bedminster 88 2.19x
Clerkenwell London 88 1.40x
Tormoham 86 3.67x
Tottenham 86 2.03x
Southwark St George Martyr 85 1.59x
Sedgley 83 2.49x
Tonbridge 83 2.53x
Great Yarmouth 80 2.36x
Lewisham 80 1.65x
Swansea Town 80 2.11x
Enfield 78 4.47x
Hinderwell 78 34.65x
Wolverhampton 66 0.96x
Gateshead 62 1.05x
Everton 61 0.61x
Ealing 59 2.48x
St George In East London 59 2.36x
Bristol St George 58 2.40x
Kington Langley 58 111.90x
Ystradyfodwg 58 1.43x
Liverpool 57 0.30x
Cheltenham 56 1.39x
Clapham 56 1.68x
Ashreigney 55 89.45x
Manchester 55 0.39x
Toxteth Park 55 0.51x
Kidderminster Borough 54 2.65x
Leeds 54 0.36x
Farnham 53 5.26x
Greenwich 53 1.25x
Royal Navy 53 1.96x
Monckton 52 34.43x
Poole St James 51 7.77x
Slapton 51 90.44x
Wimbledon 51 3.50x
Bideford 50 8.43x
Martletwy 50 146.76x
Marytavy 50 61.26x
Evesham St Lawrence 49 26.54x
Oldham 49 0.48x
Richmond 49 2.70x
Westbury On Severn East 49 4.15x
Westminster St John 49 1.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cole surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1,687
Elizabeth 1,065
Sarah 891
Jane 532
Emma 468
Eliza 436
Ellen 435
Ann 432
Alice 422
Annie 393
Emily 385
Louisa 255
Martha 206
Hannah 202
Margaret 189
Charlotte 185
Harriet 184
Caroline 183
Florence 183
Fanny 181
Edith 169
Susan 156
Maria 152
Ada 140
Clara 129
Kate 127
Lucy 127
Catherine 116
Frances 108
Anne 107
Harriett 101
Amelia 89
Agnes 86
Esther 86
Jessie 73
Rebecca 71
Susannah 70
Rose 68
Matilda 67
Minnie 67
Eleanor 63
Julia 60
Laura 55
Sophia 55
Anna 54
Isabella 53
Elizth. 50
Lydia 47
Bessie 43
Rachel 43

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cole surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 1,792
John 1,407
George 983
James 827
Thomas 816
Charles 622
Henry 608
Alfred 371
Robert 341
Joseph 331
Frederick 330
Arthur 295
Richard 273
Edward 268
Samuel 257
Walter 204
Albert 194
Harry 178
Frank 124
Ernest 118
Edwin 112
Benjamin 107
Herbert 105
David 96
Francis 92
Daniel 70
Wm. 68
Stephen 47
Isaac 42
Fredk. 39
Fredrick 38
Sidney 37
Edmund 36
Fred 36
Tom 35
Abraham 31
Thos. 30
Geo. 28
Mark 28
Percy 28
Sydney 28
Chas. 27
Philip 26
Horace 24
Andrew 23
Frederic 22
Lewis 22
Matthew 22
Jacob 19
Peter 19

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cole households.

FAQ

Cole surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cole surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27,185 people were recorded with the Cole surname. That placed it at #118 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cole surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 38,090 in 2016. That gives Cole a modern rank of #136.

What does the Cole surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who sold or transported coal or charcoal.

What does the Cole map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cole bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.