boys' name ★ peaked 2009

Kole

Meaning The surname is an anglicization of German Kohl Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,247 Trend ↓ Falling 32%

The surname is an anglicization of German Kohl.

Rank 2025
#1,247
among boys · ↓47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
165
named Kole · -4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 10,675
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2009
433 babies
All-time total
9,855
#1,222 all-time among boys
First recorded
1969
in Social Security records

Kole popularity over time

9,855 babies have been named Kole since 1969, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – 5 5 1 – #4,733
1970s – 51 51 5 +920% #3,047
1980s – 282 282 28 +453% #1,593
1990s – 1,477 1,477 148 +424% #668
2000s 16 3,438 3,454 345 +134% #598
2010s 37 3,219 3,256 326 -6% #587
2020s (to 2025) 17 1,313 1,330 222 -32% #855

Where Kole is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 149 0.09 outside top 500
2027 141 0.08 outside top 500
2028 134 0.08 outside top 500
2029 128 0.07 outside top 500
2030 123 0.07 outside top 500

Where Kole is most popular

Boys named Kole per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.121 per 1,000. Strongest in Louisiana, West Virginia, and Iowa.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Kole born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Louisiana 40 0.391 +223%
West Virginia 9 0.276 +128%
Iowa 19 0.276 +128%
Indiana 41 0.256 +111%
Michigan 49 0.239 +98%
Arkansas 11 0.174 +44%
Pennsylvania 44 0.166 +37%
Utah 15 0.157 +30%
Ohio 40 0.151 +25%
Oklahoma 13 0.147 +21%
Missouri 20 0.144 +19%
North Carolina 34 0.133 +10%
Texas 110 0.125 ≈ national
Wisconsin 13 0.110 -9%
Illinois 28 0.110 -10%
Florida 49 0.103 -15%
Tennessee 18 0.100 -18%
Arizona 14 0.086 -29%
Colorado 11 0.085 -30%
Massachusetts 11 0.080 -34%
Virginia 15 0.079 -35%
Georgia 18 0.071 -41%
Kentucky 7 0.070 -42%
Oregon 5 0.066 -46%
New York 28 0.065 -47%
California 55 0.060 -50%
Alabama 6 0.055 -55%
Maryland 6 0.050 -58%
Alaska – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Kole

Kole is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,247 in 2025 with 160 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1969, 9,855 American babies have been named Kole. Its peak came in 2009, when 433 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kole stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kole?

The median living Kole is about 16 years old; half are between 9 and 23. An estimated 9,700 people named Kole are alive in the United States today.

median 16 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kole year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #16,203 160 #1,247
2024 – – 171 #1,200
2023 – – 226 #971
2022 6 #14,526 217 #1,023
2021 6 #14,438 272 #859
2020 – – 267 #855
2019 – – 279 #816
2018 8 #11,998 301 #771
2017 5 #17,253 310 #759
2016 6 #15,359 293 #798
2015 6 #15,529 313 #762
2014 – – 288 #799
2013 6 #15,652 323 #724
2012 6 #15,995 331 #715
2011 – – 353 #669
2010 – – 428 #587
2009 – – 433 #598
2008 6 #16,533 363 #667
2007 – – 382 #636
2006 5 #18,733 352 #655
2005 – – 376 #601
2004 – – 335 #632
2003 5 #17,146 323 #638
2002 – – 327 #613
2001 – – 289 #647
2000 – – 258 #686
1995 – – 160 #858
1990 – – 56 #1,524
1985 – – 36 #1,712
1980 – – 10 #4,002
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kole, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kole?

The median living Kole is about 16 years old. Half of all living Koles are between 9 and 23 years old.

How many people named Kole are alive today?

An estimated 9,700 people named Kole are alive in the United States, based on 9,855 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kole mean?

The surname is an anglicization of German Kohl.

How popular is the name Kole in 2025?

Kole ranked #1,247 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 160 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kole?

9,855 babies have been named Kole in the United States since 1969, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kole most popular?

Kole peaked in 2009, when 433 newborns received the name.

Is Kole a boy or girl name?

Kole is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Kole rising or falling?

Kole is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kole become more popular?

Kole is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 123 boys named Kole in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Kole

Names that sound and feel close to Kole: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kole with similar names → More names starting with K →