Cole Family History

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Cole Name Meaning

English: from a Middle English pet form of Nicholas. English: from a Middle English personal name derived from the Old English byname Cola (from col ‘(char)coal’, presumably denoting someone of swarthy appearance), or the Old Norse cognate Koli. Scottish and Irish: when not of English origin, this is a reduced and altered form of McCool. In some cases, particularly in New England, Cole is a translation of the French surname Charbonneau. Probably an Americanized spelling of German Kohl.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Mole, Coley, Coll, Dole, Cope, Bole, Hole, Colle, Coble, Cote

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Cole Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Cole name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Cole. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    51%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    18%

  • Germanic Europe

    7%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    3%

  • Norway

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Cole Family Origin

Where is the Cole family from?

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You can see how Cole families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cole family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cole families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 2,137 Cole families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Cole's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cole families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cole surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Cole

Cole Family Occupations

What did your Cole ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Cole occupation in Canada was Farmer. 33% of Cole's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Cole family was Labourer. Farmer, Carpenter and School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Cole.

View Census data for Cole | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    33%

  • Carpenter

    4%

  • School

    4%

  • Labourer

    3%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Cole ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Cole Historical Records

What Cole family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Cole. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cole census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Cole

Passenger List

There are 109,000 immigration records available for the last name Cole. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Card

There are 217,000 military records available for the last name Cole. For the veterans among your Cole ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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Cole Life Expectancy

What is the average Cole lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Cole life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Cole in 1940 was 53, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cole

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cole ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Cole Family Ancestors

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