Cole is an English surname and short form with two roots: it can be a pet form of Nicholas, "victory of the people", or come from the Old English byname Cola, "coal-black" or "swarthy", for someone with dark hair. The nursery rhyme about Old King Cole has kept the name in children's ears for centuries. Cole was a top 100 name in the United States in 2000, peaked at number 69 in 2002 and has eased to number 182 in 2025.