Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1881

Ole

Meaning A male given name from Danish Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,820 Trend → Stable

A male given name from Danish.

Rank 2025
#4,820
among boys · ↑185 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
21
named Ole · +5% vs 2024
How common
1 in 81,337
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1881
42 babies
All-time total
2,125
#3,178 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ole popularity over time

2,125 babies have been named Ole since 1880, 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1881Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 310 31 – #242
1890s 165 17 -47% #368
1900s 122 12 -26% #485
1910s 280 28 +130% #932
1920s 216 22 -23% #1,313
1930s 151 15 -30% #1,389
1940s 116 12 -23% #1,931
1950s 148 15 +28% #1,670
1960s 109 11 -26% #2,052
1970s 92 9 -16% #2,653
1980s 40 4 -57% #3,880
1990s 19 2 -52% #7,531
2000s 75 8 +295% #6,322
2010s 165 17 +120% #4,355
2020s (to 2025) 117 20 +18% #4,332

Where Ole 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 21 0.01 outside top 500
2027 21 0.01 outside top 500
2028 20 0.01 outside top 500
2029 20 0.01 outside top 500
2030 20 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Ole

Ole is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,820 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,125 American babies have been named Ole. Its peak came in 1881, when 42 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the late 1800s.

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 Ole stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ole?

The median living Ole is about 43 years old; half are between 9 and 65. An estimated 800 people named Ole are alive in the United States today.

median 43 020406080100

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

Ole year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 21 #4,820
2024 20 #5,005
2023 19 #5,197
2022 10 #8,149
2021 24 #4,332
2020 23 #4,380
2019 22 #4,599
2018 21 #4,699
2017 21 #4,700
2016 21 #4,728
2015 18 #5,222
2014 23 #4,355
2013 13 #6,511
2012 8 #9,476
2011 6 #11,872
2010 12 #6,978
2009 8 #9,631
2008 6 #12,164
2007 9 #8,718
2006 6 #11,664
2005 9 #8,116
2004 8 #8,707
2003 8 #8,412
2002 – –
2001 11 #6,322
2000 10 #6,696
1995 – –
1990 5 #9,107
1985 – –
1980 8 #4,827
1975 12 #3,188
1970 11 #3,019
1965 12 #2,435
1960 11 #2,646
1955 20 #1,770
1950 10 #2,538
1945 10 #2,350
1940 10 #2,437
1935 16 #1,814
1930 28 #1,389
1925 20 #1,787
1920 31 #1,313
1915 41 #993
1910 8 #1,280
1905 9 #899
1900 17 #618
1895 20 #450
1890 24 #368
1885 31 #306
1880 29 #315

Famous people named Ole

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ole Gunnar Solskjær Ole Gunnar Solskjær Norwegian footballer and manager (born 1973) Contemporary
  2. 2 Ole Kirk Christiansen Ole Kirk Christiansen Founder of The Lego Group (1891–1958) 19th century
  3. 3 Ole Einar Bjørndalen Ole Einar Bjørndalen Norwegian biathlete (born 1974) Contemporary
  4. 4 Ole Beich Ole Beich Danish musician 1955–1991 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Ole Rømer Ole Rømer Danish astronomer (1644–1710) 17th century
  6. 6 Ole Nydahl Ole Nydahl Danish teacher in Tibetan Buddhism (1941–2026) Contemporary
  7. 7 Ole Worm Ole Worm Danish scientist (1588–1654) 16th century
  8. 8 Ole Bull Ole Bull Norwegian violinist (1810–1880) 19th century
  9. 9 Ole Selnæs Norwegian footballer (born 1994) Contemporary
  10. 10 Ole von Beust Ole von Beust German politician (born 1955) Contemporary
  11. 11 Ole Bischof Ole Bischof German judoka (born 1979) Contemporary
  12. 12 Ole Qvist Danish footballer b. 1950 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Ole Borch Ole Borch Danish scientist (1626–1690) 17th century
  14. 14 Ole Ellefsæter Ole Ellefsæter Norwegian sportsman and singer (1939–2022) Contemporary
  15. 15 Ole Østmo Norwegian sportshooter (1866–1923) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ole?

The median living Ole is about 43 years old. Half of all living Oles are between 9 and 65 years old.

How many people named Ole are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Ole are alive in the United States, based on 2,125 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ole mean?

A male given name from Danish.

How popular is the name Ole in 2025?

Ole ranked #4,820 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ole?

2,125 babies have been named Ole in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ole most popular?

Ole peaked in 1881, when 42 newborns received the name.

Is Ole a boy or girl name?

Ole is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ole rising or falling?

Ole is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Ole become more popular?

Ole looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 20 boys named Ole in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ole?

Well-known people named Ole include Ole Gunnar Solskjær (soccer player), Ole Kirk Christiansen (businessperson), Ole Einar Bjørndalen (athlete).

Names like Ole

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

Compare Ole with similar names → More names starting with O →